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University  of 
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School  of    Library 
Science 


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FRiAlS^PRTONI 


V$^a©  $&ftep&p 


VHiiillittlllllJl  i  BosTomiiUH;"'!." '"''' 


FREAKS  OF  FORTUNE 


HALF   ROUND  THE   WORLD. 


BY 


OLIVER    OPTIC,  t)*<j 

AUTHOR  OF  "  YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD,"   "  THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES, 

"THE  WOODVILLE   STORIES,"   "THE  BOAT-CLUB  STORIES," 

"  THE  RIVERDALE  STORIES,"  ETC 


BOSTON: 

LEE     AND     SHEPAED, 

1868. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 

WILLIAM    T.  ADAMS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ELECTROTYPED  AT  THE 
BOSTON  STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY, 

No.  19  Spring  Lane. 


TO 

My    Young    Friend, 

THOMAS    POWELL,    JR., 

%\n  $oah 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


THE   STARRY  FLAG   SERIES, 


BY    OLIVER    OPTIC. 


I.   THE  STARRY  FLAG;    or,  The  Young  Fisherman  of 

Cape  Ann. 

II.   FREAKS  OF  FORTUNE ;  or,  Half  Round  the  World. 

III.  BREAKING  AWAY ;    or,  The  Fortunes  op  a  Student. 

IV.  SEEK  AND  FIND ;    or,  The  Adventures  op  a  Smart 

Boy. 

V.   MAKE    OR   BREAK;  or,  The  Rich  Man's  Daughter. 

VI.    DOWN   THE   RIVER;    or,  Buck  Bradford   and   his 
Tyrants.  (Ingress.} 


PREFACE 


"  Freaks  or  Fortune  "  is  the  fourth  of  the  serial  stories 
published  in  "  Our  Boys  and  Girls."  It  was  written  in  re- 
sponse to  a  great  number  of  calls  for  a  sequel  to  "  The 
Starry  Flag."  The  author  was  pleased  to  learn  that  Levi 
Fairfield  had  made  so  pleasant  an  impression  upon  his  young 
friends,  and  the  gratifying  reception  extended  to  him  in  the 
present  story,  as  it  appeared  in  the  Magazine,  was  quite  as 
flattering  to  the  writer  as  to  Levi  himself.  When  a  good 
boy,  like  the  hero  of  "  The  Starry  Flag,"  is  regarded  with 
so  much  kindly  interest  by  our  boys  and  girls,  it  is  convin- 
cing evidence  that  they  have  the  capacity  to  appreciate  noble 
conduct,  daring  deeds,  and  a  true  life. 

The  author  is  not  disposed  to  apologize  for  the  "  exciting  " 
element  —  as  some  have  been  pleased  to  denominate  it  —  of 
this  and  others  of  his  stories.  If  goodness  and  truth  have 
been  cast  down,  if  vice  and  sin  have  been  raised  up,  in  the 

(5) 


6  PREFACE. 

story,  an  explanation  would  not,  and  ought  not  to,  atone  for 
the  crime.  The  writer  degrades  no  saints,  he  canonizes  no 
villains.  He  believes  that  his  young  friends  admire  and  love 
the  youthful  heroes  of  the  story  because  they  are  good  and 
true,  because  they  are  noble  and  self-sacrificing,  and  because 
they  are  generous  and  courageous,  and  not  merely  because 
they  engage  in  stirring  adventures.  Exciting  the  youthful 
mind  in  the  right  direction  is  one  thing;  exciting  it  in  the 
wrong  direction  is  quite  another  thing. 

Once  more  it  becomes  the  writer's  pleasant  duty  to  ac- 
knowledge the  kindness  of  his  young  friends,  as  well  as  of 
very  many  parents  and  guardians,  who  have  so  often  and  so 
freely  expressed  their  approbation  of  his  efforts  to  please  his 
readers.  He  has  been  continually  cheered  by  their  kind 
letters,  and  by  their  constant  favor,  however  manifested  ; 
and  he  cannot  help  wondering  that  one  who  deserves  so  little 
should  receive  so  much. 

William  T.  Adams. 

Harrison  Square,  Mass., 
July  27, 1808. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   I. 

PAGE 

Three  Years  after .    ....    11 


CHAPTER   II. 
Fire 21 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Hole  in  the  Wall 31 

CHAPTER   IV. 
The  Plank  over  the  Chasm 42 

CHAPTER    V. 

An  Inductive  Argument.      .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    0    .    .    53 

CHAPTER   VI. 
The  Starry  Elag „    .    64 

CHAPTER   VII. 
Grave  Charges.      , 75 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Constable  Cooke.  „    . , 86 

(?) 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK    IX. 
The  Examination 97 

CHAPTER   X. 
Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier 108 

CHAPTER   XI. 
The  Result  of  the  Examination 119 

CHAPTER   XII. 
Hotel  de  Poisson „...<,..    o    .  130 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
"  Opt  from  apparent  Ills." 141 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
"Lose  his  own  Soul."    .    . 151 

CHAPTER    XV. 
Another  Little  Plan.      .     .     .     .     „ 161 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
Pistols  for  Two 173 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
The  Gold  Restored 184 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
Mat  Mo&more 195 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
The  Caribbee .  207 

CHAPTER   XX. 
Dock  Vincent's  Letter 219 

CHAPTER    XXI. 
The  Caribbee  sails  for  Australia 230 

CHAPTER    XXII. 
The  Traveller  who  lost  his  Way 241 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 
Off  Sandy  Hook 253 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 
Half  round  the  World 264 

CHAPTER    XXV. 
A  happy  Reunion 275 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 
Conclusion 287 


FREAKS  OF  FORTUNE; 


OR, 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WOULD. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THREE   TEAES   AFTER. 


THIS  is  the  spot,  Bessie,"  said  Levi  Fairfield,  as 
he  paused  on  the  bank  of  the  brook  which  flows 
into  the  bay  near  Mike's  Point. 

"  But  what  was  the  thing  you  made  ?  "  asked  Bes- 
sie Watson,  as  she  looked  with  interest  at  the  place 
indicated,  though  she  could  not  see  anything  very 
remarkable,  or  even  strange. 

"  It  was  a  young  saw-mill,"  laughed  Levi.  "  It 
rested  on  those  flat  stones  you  see  there;  but  the 
dam  is  entirely  washed  away.  I  made  it  in  Mr.  Mog- 
more's  carpenter's  shop,  near  uncle  Nathan's  house. 
After  a  deal  of  fussing  and  tinkering,  I  got  it  so  that 

(") 


12  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

it  sawed  through  a  board  two  feet  long  from  one 
end  to  the  other.  It  was  the  proudest  day  of  my 
life  when  I  showed  Mr.  Mogmore  the  two  parts, 
separated  by  my  machine;  and  he  declared  I  should 
make  a  good  machinist." 

"  Where  is  the  saw-mill  now  ? "  inquired  Bessie, 
interested  in  the  machine  because  it  had  been  made 
by  Levi,  rather  than  because  she  had  a  taste  for 
mechanics. 

"It  is  up  in  the  attic  of  uncle  Nathan's  house; 
at  least  it  was  there  three  years  ago,  when  I  went 
to  live  with  Mr.  Gayles." 

"I  should  really  like  to  see  it." 

"  Should  you  ?  Well,  you  shall,  if  the  thing  is  still 
in  being.  I  will  go  down  to  uncle  Nathan's  and  get 
it,  and  then  I  will  set  it  up,  and  you  shall  see  it  go," 
answered  Levi,  as  he  led  the  way  towards  the  house 
of  his  uncle. 

The  water  privilege  which  Levi  Fairfield,  as  a  boy 
of  thirteen,  had  improved,  was  located  on  the  brook 
behind  the  cottage  of  Mr.  Mogmore.  Bessie  did  not 
care  to  meet  uncle  Nathan ;  so  she  decided  to  call 
upon  the  carpenter's  family;   for,  having  spent  three 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WOULD.  13 

seasons  at  Rockport,  she  was  well  acquainted  in  sev- 
eral families  near  her  father's  new  house,  which  was 
on  the  shore,  not  far  from  Mike's  Point. 

Bessie  —  or,  as  we  ought  to  call  her  now,  Miss 
Watson,  though  it  doe3  not  sound  half  so  pleasant 
to  the  ear,  and  Levi  had  been  several  times  reproved 
for  addressing  her  in  this  formal  manner  —  Miss 
Watson  was  "  sweet  sixteen,"  or  so  near  it  that  we 
give  her  the  full  benefit  of  the  majority  fraction.  If 
she  was  pretty  at  twelve,  she  was  beautiful  at  sixteen. 
She  was  rather  tall  for  her  age,  but  exceedingly  well 
formed.  She  had  spent  much  of  her  time  in  the 
open  air,  and  on  her  cheeks  glowed  the  roses  of 
health. 

Mrs.  McGilvery,  a  widowed  sister  of  Mr.  Watson, 
who  had  been  the  principal  of  a  young  ladies'  sem- 
inary before  her  marriage,  was  intrusted  with  the  care 
of  her  niece's  education.  Though  Bessie  attended 
school  while  in  the  city,  yet  she  was  absent  ^four 
months  in  the  year,  during  three  of  which  she  studied 
with  her  governess,  on  the  sea-shore.  Fortunately 
for  Bessie,  Mrs.  McGilvery  was  an  amphibious  lady, 
and  was  always  ready  for  a  trip  in  The  Starry  Flag, 


14  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

Levi  Fairfield's  well-tried  craft.  She  had  a  taste  for 
yachts,  not  only  in  pleasant  weather,  and  on' a  smooth 
sea,  but  when  the  wind  blew  anything  short  of  a 
gale,  and  the  white  caps  whipped  over  the  gunwale 
of  the  boat.  Bessie,  therefore,  was  frequently  on  the 
salt  water  with  her  duenna,  and  her  constitution  had 
been  wonderfully  strengthened  by  this  healthful  exer- 
cise. 

Levi  Fairfield  and  The  Starry  Flag  were  in  de- 
mand almost  every  day;  and  we  need  not  add  that 
the  young  skipper  did  not  regard  himself  as  a  martyr 
in  the  cause.  Though  the  excursions  to  Halibut 
Point,  Straitsmouth,  the  Selvages,  and  other  places 
in  the  vicinity,  were  frequently  repeated,  he  was  never 
happier  than  when  at  the  helm  with  Bessie  and  Mrs. 
McGilvery  on  board;  not  particularly  on  account  of 
the  latter,  though  he  was  quite  a  favorite  with  her. 

Levi  left  Miss  Watson  at  the  door  of  Mr.  Mog- 
more's  cottage,  and  walked  over  to  uncle  Nathan's 
house.  Three  years  had  not  improved  the  appear- 
ance of  the  miser's  house,  for  he  spent  no  money 
upon  it  in  paint  and  repairs.  When  anything  about 
the .  building   caved  in,  as  it  frequently  did,  he   tink- 


nALF   ROUND   THE    WORLD.  15 

ered  it  himself.  If  time  had  not  improved  uncle 
Nathan  or  his  house,  it  had  improved  Levi.  He  was 
nearly  eighteen,  was  "man  grown,"  strong  as  a  lion, 
and  agile  as  a  deer.  Within  the  preceding  three 
years  he  had  made  two  fishing  trips,  though  most  of 
his  time  had  been  spent  at  the  academy. 

He  entered  his  uncle's  house.  Though  his  visits, 
like  angels',  had  been  few  and  far  between,  they  were 
not  so  because  Levi  cherished  any  ill  will  towards 
his  former  guardian,  but  because  he  had  been  made  to 
feel  that  he  was  not  a  welcome  guest.  Uncle  Nathan 
never  felt  right  after  his  removal  from  the  position 
of  guardian  of  his  nephew.  The  care  of  the  money 
was  taken  from  him,  and  he  was  deprived  of  the 
profits  he  derived  from  boarding  and  clothing  his 
ward.  He  realized  that  money  had  been  taken  out 
of  his  pocket  by  the  spirited  conduct  of  Levi;  and 
taking  money  out  of  the  miser's  pocket  was  the  sorest 
injury  that  could  be  inflicted  upon  him. 

But  Levi  behaved  like  a  Christian.  He  did  not 
forget  that  his  uncle  and  aunt  lived  in  that  old  and 
dilapidated  house,  and  he  did  his  best  to  keep  the 
peace  with  them.    In  the  most  literal  manner  he  re- 


16  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

turned  good  for  evil.  It  is  true  he  could  not  respect 
his  uncle,  or  get  up  a  very  warm  regard  for  him,  —  he 
was  too  mean,  selfish,  and  unprincipled  to  win  the 
respect  and  regard  of  any  decent  person,  —  but  he 
could  treat  him  with  Christian  kindness. 

Mr.  Gayles,  since  he  had  been  Levi's  guardian,  had, 
by  the  advice  of  Mr.  Watson,  given  his  ward  a  reg- 
ular allowance  of  five  dollars  a  week  for  pocket  money, 
independent  of  his  actual  expenses  for  clothing  him- 
self. This  money  was  spent  in  books,  in  improve- 
ments on  The  Starry  Flag,  in  charity,  and  for  other 
proper  purposes.  Not  a  cent  of  it  ever  went  to  the 
keeper  of  a  grog-shop,  billiard-saloon,  or  other  place 
which  a  young  man  should  avoid ;  but  not  a  little 
of  it,  in  one  way.  and  another,  found  its  way  into 
the  comfortless  abode  of  uncle  Nathan. 

Though  his  aunt,  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  had 
become  almost  as  mean  as  her  husband,  she  was  not 
a  bad  woman  in  other  respects,  and  Levi  had  consid- 
erable regard  for  her.  She  had  but  few  joys  in  this 
world,  and  one  of  them  was  reading  the  newspaper, 
when  she  was  so  fortunate  as  to  procure  one,  which 
was  but   seldom.      Levi   subscribed   for    the    Boston 


HALF   BOUND    THE   WORLD.  17 

Journal  for  her,  which  came  every  clay,  and  for  a 
weekly  religious  newspaper.  The  old  lady  had  a 
splendid  time  every  afternoon  reading  her  paper,  and 
enjoyed  a  "  rich  season  "  every  "  Sabba'  day  "  over  her 
Sunday  paper. 

Levi  did  more  than  this.  He  not  only  carried  to 
the  house  a  great  many  fish  he  caught  himself,  but 
a  leg  of  veal  or  lamb,  a  roasting-piece  of  beef,  a  pair 
of  chickens,  or  a  turkey  was  not  unfrequently  laid 
upon  the  kitchen  table  by  him.  Uncle  Nathan  ate 
the  roast  beef,  the  turkeys,  and  the  chickens,  but  he 
hated  the  giver  none  the  less.  It  was  a  shameful 
waste  of  money  to  buy  such  things ;  and  these  deli- 
cacies reminded  him  of  the  dollars  and  half  dollars 
that  had  slipped  away  from  him  when  he  lost  Levi, 
rather  than  the  kindness  and  Christian  charity  of  tht? 
young  man  in  presenting  them. 

It  was  not  so  with  Mrs.  Fairfield,  though  the  sa\ 
age  flings  and  unkind  allusions  of  her  husband  to  his 
nephew  were  not  without  their  influence  upon  her.. 
She  could  not  help  feeling  a  great  regard  for  the  donor 
of  the  newspapers,  and  the  substantiate  which  gave  the 
table  such  an  unwonted  attractiveness.  As  far  as  her 
2 


18  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

dull  nature-  would  permit,  she  appreciated  the  kind- 
ness and  good  will  of  Levi.  It  is  true  that  on  several 
occasions  uncle  Nathan  had  sold  the  turkeys,  chickens, 
and  roasting-pieces  his  late  ward  had  given  him;  yet 
it  had  never  been  without  a  protest  on  the  part  of 
aunt  Susan.  It  was  an  awful  waste  for  him  to  eat 
these  luxuries ;  but  selling  the  gifts  of  Levi  was  mon- 
strous to  her,  and  her  protest  was  so  energetic  that 
she  carried  her  point,  and  the  miser  was  compelled 
to  eat  food  which  was  so  costly  that  it  almost  choked 
him. 

Uncle  Nathan  did  not  get  fat  on  the  bounty  of  his 
liberal  nephew.  He  had  too  many  corroding  cares, 
too  many  financial  terrors,  too  many  fears  that  the 
banks  would  break,  his  creditors  fail,  his  stocks  depre- 
ciate, to  eat  and  sleej)  like  a  Christian.  Misers  never 
grow  liberal  as  they  grow  old,  and  he  was  no  excep- 
tion to  the  rule.  A  financial  panic  had  just  swept 
over  the  land,  and  though  he  had  lost  nothing-  by  it, 
it  caused  him  more  anguish  than  thousands  who  had 
lost  their  all.  He  was  afraid  of  banks,  afraid  of  men, 
afraid  even  of  good  mortgages  on  productive  real 
estate.    He  dreaded  some  calamity  he  could  not  de- 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  19 

fine,  which  would   wrest    from   him  every  dollar  he 
had  in  the  world. 

To  guard  against  this  horrible  event,  he  had  actu- 
ally converted  some  of  the  less  reliable  of  his  securi- 

*  ...  . 

ties  into  gold,  and  concealed  it  in  his  house,  preferring 

to  sacrifice  the  interest  to  the  safety  of  the  principal, 

bitter  as  the  necessity  seemed  to  be. 

For  two  months  uncle  Nathan  had  kept  four  thou- 
sand dollars  in  gold  in  the  house,  groaning  at  the 
loss  of  sixty-six  and  Xwo  thirds  cents  a  day  in  inter- 
est; but  a  bank  somewhere  in  the  state  had  failed, 
and  he  dared  not  trust  the  money  out  of  his  own 
possession.  It  had  been  hidden  in  the  cellar,  hidden 
in  the  parlor,  hidden  in  the  kitchen,  and  hidden  in 
his  chamber;  but  no  place  seemed  to  be  safe,  and 
the  miser  trembled  when  awake,  and  trembled  when 
asleep,  in  his  dreams,  lest  the  figurative  description 
of  riches  should  be  realized,  and  his  gold  should  take 
to  itself  wings  and  fly  away. 

Ruin  and  decay  had  invaded  the  sleeping-room  of 
the  miser,  as  it  had  every  other  part  of  his  house. 
There  was  many  a  hole  in  the  plastering,  and  many 
a  hole  in  the  floor ;  but  there  was  one  particular  hole 


20  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

in  the  wall,  about  a  foot  above  the  floor,  in  a  corner 
behind  the  bed.  This  particular  hole  was  selected  as 
the  receptacle  for  the  gold.  He  had  cut  away  the 
laths,  so  that  he  could  thrust  his  arm  down  into  the 
aperture,  and  deposit  the  bag  on  the  sill  of  the 
house. 

He  had  begged  a  piece  of  board  of  Mr.  Mogmore 
to  cover  this  hole,  and  had  fastened  it  over  the  plas- 
tering with  four  screws.  While  he  was  thus  engaged, 
Mat  Mogmore,  the  carpenter's  son,  had  come  for  the 
screw-driver  uncle  Nathan  had  borrowed  at  the  shop. 
Mrs.  Fairfield,  not  knowing  what  her  husband  was 
doing,  sent  him  into  the  chamber  for  it. 

"Stoppin'  up  the  cracks  to  keep  the  cold  out," 
whined  the  miser.  "I  cal'late  I  got  the  rheumatiz 
out  of  this  hole." 

Mat  wanted  the  screw-driver,  but  he  helped  fasten 
up  the  board  before  he  took  it,  and  wondered  what 
the  old  man  had  cut  away  the  laths  for.  The  board 
was  put  up,  and  the  money  was  safe ;  but  the  miser 
hardly  dared  to  go  out  of  sight  of  the  house. 


HALF  ROUND  THE  WOULD.  21 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIRE. 

LEVI  entered  the  house.  Uncle  Nathan  was 
not  at  home,  but  he  was  probably  somewhere 
in  the  vicinity.  Aunt  Susan  was  in  the  kitchen 
baking  her  weekly  batch  of  brown  bread,  the  staple 
article  of  food  in  the  family,  because  it  was  cheaper 
than  white  bread. 

"  Aunt,  I  want  to  go  up  in  the  garret  and  get  that 
little  saw-mill  I  made  four  or  five  years  ago,"  said 
Levi. 

"Well,  I  s'pose  you  can,"  replied  she,  filling  up 
the  old  brick  oven  with  pine  wood,  which  cracked 
and  snapped  furiously  in  the  fierce  flames. 

"It's  up  there  now  —  isn't  it?" 

"  I  s'pose  'tis,  if  you  put  it  there  ;  I  hain't  teched  it." 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  little  piece  of  candle,  too,  if 
you  please?" 


22  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR  , 

"  You  can  take  that  piece  in  the  candlestick  on 
the  mantel-tree  piece,  if  it's  long  enough." 

"  That  will  clo  just  as  well  as  if  it  were  a  foot 
long,"  replied  Levi,  taking  the  piece  of  candle,  and 
rolling  it  up  in  a  bit  of  newspaper. 

He  went  up  into  the  attic,  found  the  saw-mill  just 
as  he  had  left  it,  though  it  was  covered  with  half  an 
inch  of  dust  and  cobwebs.  When  he  came  down,  he 
heard  uncle  Nathan's  voice  in  the  kitchen.  He  was 
growling  because  his  wife  used  so  much  wood  to  heat 
the  oven,  and  Levi  concluded  not  to  see  him  that 
day,  for  he  seemed  to  be  in  a  more  than  usually 
unamiable  frame  of  mind.  He  went  out  at  the  front 
door,  and  Bessie  "joined  him  as  he  passed  Mr.  Mog- 
more's  house.  The  saw-mill  was  taken  to  the  spot 
where  it  had  stood  before.  The  dam  wTas  reconstruct- 
ed much  more  readily  than  the  rebel  states. 

Taking  the  candle  from  his  pocket,  Levi  greased 
the  running  parts  of  the  machine,  hoisted  the  gate, 
and  away  went  the  saw  as  briskly  as  a  bee  after  its 
years  of  rest  in  the  attic,  to  the  intense  delight  of 
Bessie,  who  was  quite  ready  to  vote  another  feather 
for  the  cap  of  the  hero.    A  piece   of  board  was  ad- 


HALF    BOUND    THE    WORLD.  23 

justed  on  the  carnage,  and  the  saw  began  to  whisk, 
whisk,  whisk  through  it,  when  a  scries  of  yells  in  the 
direction  of  the  road  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
engineer  of  the  structure. 

"Why,  what's  that  smoke?"  exclaimed  Bessie. 

"  Fire !  Fire !  Fire ! "  shouted  several  persons  in 
the  road. 

"It's  uncle  Nathan's  house,"  said  Levi;  and,  with- 
out waiting  to  extend  any  further  courtesies  to  his 
fair  companion,  he  bounded  through  the  field,  and 
over  the  fence,  to  the  imperilled  dwelling. 

Around  the  north  chimney  the  smoke  was  pouring 
out  in  a  dense  volume.  Uncle  Nathan  had  raised  a 
ladder  to  the  roof,  and  was  drawing  up  pails  of  water 
to  throw  on  the  fire.  Aunt  Susan  and  Mat  Mogmore 
were  assisting  him,  and  in  a  few  moments  several 
other  persons  arrived  at  the  house.  Levi  ran  up  the 
ladder,  and  went  to  work  with  a  decision  and  vigor 
which  promised  the  best  results. 

"I'm  ruined!  I'm  ruined,  as  true  as  you  live!" 
groaned  the  miser.     "  The  house  will  burn  up ! " 

"  No,  it  won't,  uncle  Nathan.  We  csn  put  the  fire 
out  if  we   stick  to  it,"  replied  Levi,  in  encouraging 


24  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OE 

tones,  as  he  clashed  a  bucket  of  water  on  a  volume 
of  name  that  rushed*  up  at  the  side  of  the  chimney. 

"  Tain't  no  use  !     It's  jest  my  luck." 

"Pass  up  the  buckets,  uncle  Nathan,  and  we  shall 
be  all  right  in  a  few  minutes.     We  are  gaining  on  it." 

"  O,  my  money ! "  groaned  the  miser,  as  he  dropped 
the  empty  bucket  he  was  carrying. 

Levi  glanced  at  him.  His  uncle  was  as  pale  as  a 
sheet,  and  seemed  to  have  wilted  as  though  the  flames 
had  blasted  him.  He  sank  down  upon  the  roof,  and 
would  have  rolled  off  if  the  strong  arm  of  his  nephew 
had  not  saved  him.  His  eyes  were  closed,  his  lips 
were  blue  and  ashy,  and  his  frame  was  motionless. 
Levi  was  alarmed  by  his  appearance.  He  was  either 
dead  or  had  fainted,  and  the  young  man  saw  that  he 
must  be  removed.  Lying  down  by  the  side  of  the 
senseless  form,  he  clasped  his  arms  around  it,  and 
rose  to  his  feet  with  the  burden  on  his  back.  Like  all 
misers,  uncle  Nathan  was  nothing  but  skin  and  bones, 
which  do  not  weigh  heavily,  and  Levi  walked  along 
the  ridge-pole  to  the  other  end  of  the  house  with 
the  nerveless  body  on  his  back. 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  descend  the  ladder 


1 


IIALF    BOUND    THE    WOBLD.  25       . 

with  sucli  a  load,  though  Levi  would  have  carried 
his  uncle  down  alone  if  no  help  had  arrived.  Before 
he  reached  the  ladder,  two  men  had  mounted  the 
roof,  and  while  one  of  them  was  directed  to  pour 
water  on  the  fire,  the  other  assisted  in  bearing  the  * 
miser  down  the  ladder.  He  was  carried  to  Mr. 
Mogmore's  house,  and  aunt  Susan  followed,  having 
satisfied  herself  that  her  husband  was  not  dead,  but 
had  fainted.         , 

Having  deposited  the  form  of  the  miser  on  the 
bed,  Levi  hastened  back  to  assist  in  saving  the  house. 
His  j>ost  was  in  the  midst  of  danger,  and  he  went  up 
on  the  roof.  A  plentiful  supply  of  water  soon 
drowned  out  the  fire,  and  before  the  engine  arrived 
the  last  spark  had  been  extinguished. 

"  O,  my  money ! "  had  been  the  last  words  of  Mr. 
Fairfield  before  he  fainted.  Levi  did  not  understand 
the  force  of  this  expression,  for  he  was  not  aware 
that  his  uncle  had  four  thousand  dollars  in  gold  con- 
cealed in  the  house.  The  miser  had  worked  with 
the  energy  of  desperation  to  put'  out  the  fire,  until 
the  fiames  appeared  to  be  gaining  upon  him,  and 
then  he  was  in  despair.    At  this  point  the  thought 


26  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

of  his  gold  flashed  upon  him  with  such  stunning 
force  that  it  had  taken  away  his  senses.  Doubtless 
the  smoke  and  the  heat,  as  well  as  the  violence  of 
his  exertions,  had  contributed  in  some  measure  to 
this  result. 

The  house  would  be  burned,  and  the  four  thou- 
sand dollars  would  be  lost !  This  was  the  reflection 
which  overwhelmed  the  miser.  Even  death  seemed 
preferable  to  losing  such  a  vast  sum  of  money.  His 
god  appeared  to  be  riven  from  him,  and  the  revul- 
sion in  his  mind  was  terrible.  If  his  hair  had  not 
already  been  gray,  the  shock  was  heavy  enough  to 
have  bleached  it  out  in  a  single  instant. 

"When  the  fire  had  been  put  out,  Levi  hastened 
over  to  the  carpenter's  house  to  ascertain  the  condi- 
tion of  his  uncle.  The  patient,  under  the  skilful 
treatment  of  the  old  ladies  who  had  ministered  to 
him,  was  just  regaining  his  consciousness,  but  had 
not  yet  sufficiently  recovered  to  know  what  had  hap- 
pened to  him.  The  house  was  not  much  injured. 
A  hole  in  the  roof,  about  six  feet  in  diameter,  had 
been  burned  out,  and  the  water  poured  upon  the  fire 
had  found  its  way  into  the  rooms  below. 


HALF    ROUXD    THE    WORLD.  27 

The  neighbors  had  worked  with  energy  in  extin- 
guishing the  fire,  and  some  of  them  had  gone  into 
the  house,  and  were  removing  the  bedding  and  other 
furniture,  so  that  the  water  should  not  drip  down 
upon  it  from  above.  When  Levi  came  back,  he 
found  Dock  Vincent  and  Mat  Mogmore  removing 
the  bed  from  his  uncle's  chamber.  Others  were  car- 
rying out  the  bureau  and  chairs.  The  work  was 
about  finished,  and  he  joined  Bessie  in  the  road, 
where  she  had  been  observing  the  exciting  scene. 

"How  did  it  take  fire,  Levi?"  she  asked. 

"I  don't  know.  Aunt  had  a  tremendous  fire  in 
the  oven." 

"There  comes  your  uncle,"  added  Bessie,  pointing 
to  the  poor  old  man,  as  he  reeled  up  the  road  in 
his  weakness,  like  a  drunken  man.  "How  awful  he 
looks ! " 

"He  feels  badly  about  it,  I  suppose,"  replied  Levi. 

Uncle  Nathan's  face  did  indeed  present  an  aspect 
which  was  almost  hideous.  It  was  still  as  pale  and 
ghastly  as  death  itself;  and  upon  it  there  was  an 
expression  of  the  most  intense  agony.  His  wife  was 
following  him,  hardly  able  to  keep  pace  with  the 
long  strides  he   made. 


28'  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"  It's  all  right,  uncle  Nathan ;  we  saved  the  house, 
and  not  much  damage  has  been  done  to  it,"  said 
Levi,  as  the  old  man  passed  him. 

Uncle  Nathan  took  no  notice  of  him;  perhaps  he 
did  not  even  hear  him,  so  deejDly  was  he  absorbed 
in  thinking  about  the  gold.  Levi  and  Bessie  fol- 
lowed him  into  the  house.  The  wretched  miser 
rushed  into  his  chamber.  Mat  Mogmore  was  there, 
and  seemed  to  be  busy  in  wiping  the  water  from  the 
floor.  Dock  Vincent  was  in  the  next  room,  appar- 
ently as  busy  as  the  carpenter's  son. 

The  miser,  with  all  the  powers  of  his  being  con- 
centrated in  his  eyes,  gazed  tremblingly  at  the  board 
which  covered  the  hiding-place  of  his  money.  That 
dark  hole  was  the  temple  of  his  god,  and  all  his  hopes 
seemed  to  be  shrouded  in  its  gloom.  But  the  board 
was  where  he  left  it,  and  as  he  left  it,  and  the  miser 
breathed  a  little  easier. 

"It  was  rather  hard  on  you,  Mr.  Fairfield ;  but  it's 
lucky  it  ain't  no  worse,"  said  Dock  Vincent. 

"It's  bad  enough,"  groaned  the  miser. 

"That's  so;  but  'tain't  so  bad  as  it  might  be.  I 
was  just  coming  down  from  the  ledges  when  I  saw 


HALF   ROTTXD    THE   WORLD.  29 

the  smoke;  and  I've  been  to  work  like  a  good  one 
ever  since,"  added  Dock. 

"  If  I  can  do  anything  more  for  you,  I'm  willing  to 
help  as  much  as  I  can,"  said  Mat  Mogrnore. 

"There  ain't  nothing  more  to  do,"  replied  Mr. 
Fairfield,  who  only  desired  that  the  neighbors  would 
leave,  so  that  he  could  assure  himself  of  the  safety 
of  his  gold. 

They  did  go,  without  even  the  thanks  of  the  miser. 
Levi  was  in  the  kitchen  with  Mrs.  Fairfield,  trying 
to  make  out  how  the  fire  had  caught. 

"  Sech  a  piece  of  work,  massy  knows ! "  exclaimed 
the  old  lady,  as  she  looked  about  her  in  dismay  at 
the  water  which  was  still  dripping  down  from  above. 
"  It'll  take  a  whole  month  to  put  things  to  rights 
agin.    I  can't  tell,  for  the  life  of  me,  how  it  ketched." 

"You  had  a  large  fire  in  the  oven,  aunt,"  suggest- 
ed Levi. 

"  But  the  fire  in  the  oven  didn't  set  the  ruff  afire ! 
Sunthin  was  the  matter  with  that  chimbly,  and  your 
uncle  fixed  it  e'enamost  a  month  ago.  I  don't  know 
nothin'  what  he  did  to  it.  Mebbe  there  was  a  hole 
in  that  chimbly  —    For  massy  sake !    What's  comin' 


30  FREAKS   OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

This  exclamation  had  been  brought  from  her  by 
a  loud,  despairing  howl  from  her  husband,  who  at 
this  moment  rushed  into  the  kitchen,  with  such  a 
look  of  anguish  on  his  face  that  it  frightened  Bessie^ 

"O,  my  money!"  groaned  the  wretched  man. 

"For  pity's  sake,  husband,  what's  the  matter?" 
cried  Mrs.  Fairfield. 

"  It's  all  gone ! "  gasped  uncle  Nathan. 

"What's  all  gone?" 

"  The  money  ! "  -  he  replied  in  a  whisper. 

His  nature  could  endure  no  more.  He  tottered  on 
his  legs,  and  Levi  sprang  to  his  assistance  just  as  he 
dropped  senseless  on  the  floor. 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  31 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE    HOLE   IN    THE   WALL. 


AS  soon  as  Dock  Vincent  and  Mat  Mogmore  had 
left  the  house,  Mr.  Fairfield  procured  a  case- 
knife, —  for  he  was  not  the  owner  of  so  useful  an 
implement  as  a  screw-driver, —  and,  with  trembling 
anxiety,  removed  the  board  that  covered  the  hole  in 
the  wall.  Thrusting  his  hand  down  into  the  aper- 
ture, a  cold  chill  swept  through  his  frame  when  he 
failed  to  touch  the  bags  in  which  the  gold  was  con- 
tained. With  convulsive  energy,  he  felt  in  every 
part  of  the  cavity ;  but  the  money  had  surely  taken 
to  itself  wings  and  flown  away. 

Had  all  the  human  beings  upon  the  earth  been 
suddenly  destroyed  before  his  eyes,  the  effect  uj)on 
the  miser  could  not  have  been  more  deplorable.  He 
loved  his  money;  he  did  not  love  his  fellow-beings. 
His  heart   almost  ceased  to   beat  beneath  the  shock, 


32  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

his  lip  quivered,  and  the  tears  started  in  his  eyes. 
His  brain  began  to  reel  before  the  blow;  he  uttered 
a  prolonged  howl,  and  rushed  out  into  the  kitchen 
rather  from  impulse  than  because  he  desired  or  ex- 
pected human  sympathy. 

Bessie  "Watson  was  terrified  by  the  fearful  aspect 
of  Mr.  Fairfield  when  he  entered  the  room,  and  for 
weeks  the  awful  expression  upon  his  face  haunted 
her  like  the  vision  of  a  midnight  ghost.  Levi  was 
startled,  and  Mrs.  Fairfield,  accustomed  as  she  was  to 
the  ways  of  her  husband,  was  deeply  moved  by  his 
singular  conduct.  When  he  was  ailing,  he  was  sub- 
ject to  fainting  fits ;  but  he  had  never  appeared  so 
badly  as  on  the  present  occasion. 

The  miser  trusted  no  person,  had  no  confidence  in 
any  one,  not  even  in  his  wife.  He  had  not  told  her 
that  he  had  four  thousand  dollars  in  gold  in  the 
house,  for  he  feared  that  she  might  be  tempted  to 
rob  him  of  his  treasure.  Mrs.  Fairfield,  therefore,  did 
not  comprehend  his  despairing  utterances  when  he 
announced  the  loss  of  his  money. 

Levi  and  his  aunt  conveyed  the  senseless  form  to 
the  front  room,  and  after  working   over  him  nearly 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  33 

half  an  hour,  he  came  out  of  the  fit,  but  only  to  suf- 
fer the  most  intense  agonies  at  the  loss  of  his  money, 

"  What  on  airth  is  the  matter  with  you,  Nathan  ?  " 
asked  his  wife,  when,  after  another  examination  of 
the  hole  in  the  wall,  he  appeared  in  the  kitchen 
again. 

Bessie  had  gone  home ;  but  Levi  remained,  to  ren- 
der any  assistance  in  his  power  in  putting  the  house 
to  rights. 

"  O ! "  groaned  the  miser,  heavily,  as  he  paced  the 
room  with  furious  strides. 

"  Can't  you  tell  what  ails  you  ? "  continued  Mrs. 
Fairfield. 

"It's  all  gone,"  gasped  he,  with  a  prolonged  sigh. 

"What  is  it?  What's  all  gone?  Why  don't  you 
tell  a  body  what  has  happened?" 

"My  money  is  all  gone!  Somebody  has  stolen 
it  —  robbed  me,  ruined  me!" 

"Who  on  airth   stole  it?" 

"I  donno,"  replied  Mr.  Fairfield*  glancing  at  Levi. 

"How  much  was  stole?" 

"Four  thousand  dollars,"  sighed  the  miser. 

"  For  massy  sake  ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Fairfield  j  and 
3 


84  FREAKS    OF  FORTUNE,   OR 

it  was  a  question  whether  she  would  not  faint,  for 
such  a  sum  of  money  was  beyond  her  comprehension. 

"Where  was  it,  uncle  Nathan?"  asked  Levi,  who 
pitied  the  sufferings  of  the  old  man. 

The  miser  looked  at  his  nephew.  People  always 
suspect  those  whom  they  hate.  If  any  wicked  deed 
is  done,  they  charge  it  upon  those  they  love  the 
least,  regardless  of  circumstances. 

"  Levi  Fairfield,  you  stole  my  money ! "  continued 
the  old  man,  fiercely. 

"Nonsense,  Nathan!"  interposed  Mrs.  Fairfield. 
"  Levi  didn't  do  nothin'  of  the  sort." 

"  Didn't  you  tell  me  he  went  up  in  the  attic  before 
the  fire?  Didn't  you  tell  me  you  gave  him  a  piece 
of  candle?"  demanded  Mr.  Fairfield,  earnestly;  and 
doubtless  he  felt  that  Levi  was  guilty,  for  his  impul- 
sive charge  was  made  on  the  strength  of  a  course 
of  reasoning  he  had  followed  out. 

"What  if  I  did  tell  you  so?  Levi  didn't  steal 
no  four  thousand  dollars.  There's  no  sense  nor  rea- 
son in  sayin'  so,"  added  aunt  Susan. 

"I  say  he  did  steal  it.  I  know  he  did  now,"  per- 
sisted the  miser.    "He  set  the  house  afire,  and  then 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  35 

took  the  money.  That  boy  hates  me,  and  he's  bad 
enough  to  do  anything,  if  he  is  go'n'  to  jine  the 
church." 

"Levi  has  money  enough,"  argued  Mrs.  Fairfield. 
"  Why  should  he  steal  your  money  ?  " 

"  Cause  he  hates  me." 

"  Uncle  Nathan,  I  don't  hate  you,  and  I  didn't  steal 
your  money,"  said  Levi,  who  had  calmly  listened  to 
the  debate  between  his  uncle  and  aunt. 

"  Yes,  you  did ;  you  set  the  house  afire,  so's  to  git 
a  chance  to  git  the  money.  It's  all  plain  enough  to 
me,"  continued  the  old  man^.striding  up  and  down 
the  room  more  rapidly  than  before. 

"I  suppose  it  will  be  useless  for  me  to  say  any- 
thing," added  Levi,  more  in  pity  than  in  anger.  "I 
am  willing  to  do  anything  I  can  to  help  you  find 
the  money,  if  it  is  lost,  or  catch  the  thief,  if  it  was 
stolen." 

"  'Tain't  no  use  for  you  to  talk  no  more,  Levi  Fair- 
field," said  the  old  man,  stopping  in  front  of  him. 
"You  know  all  about  it,  and  you  took  the  money. 
If  you're  a  mind  to  give  it  all  back  to  me,  I  won't 
say  a  word  to  nobody  about  it." 


36  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  I  did  not  take  it,  and  I  know  nothing  about  it. 
I  was  not  aware  that  you  had  so  much  money  in 
the  house,"  replied  Levi. 

"  What  did  you  want  of  the  candle,  then,  if  you 
didn't  steal  the  money?" 

"I  wanted  it  to  grease  the  saw-mill,  and  the  can- 
dle lies  on  a  rock  by  the  brook  now." 

"Didn't  you  set  the  house  afire  when  you  went 
up  in  the  garret?" 

"  I  did  not.  I  had  no  light,  and  not  even  a  match 
in  my  pocket." 

"Who  did  steal  it,  then,  if  you  didn't?" 

"  I  don't  know.    Where  did  you  keep  the  money  ?  " 

The  old  man  led  the  way  to  his  chamber,  and 
pointed  out  the  hole. 

"That's  a  bad  place  to  keep  money,"  said  Levi. 

"  'Tain't  no  use  to  keep  money  in  the  bank  now ; 
they're  all  failin',  and  folks  is  failin';  and  a  man 
that's  got  a  little  money  is  wus  off  than  them  that 
hain't  got  none." 

Levi  asked  a  great  many  questions  about  the  money, 
and  the  hole,  which  uncle  Nathan,  hoping  to  find 
his   money,   answered.      There  was  no  evidence   to 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  37 

fasten  the  crime  upon  any  one.  The  facts  that  ap- 
peared were,  that  the  money,  in  four  bags,  had  been 
deposited  in  the  cavity;  that  an  hour  before  the  fire, 
the  miser  had  assured  himself  the  gold  was  safe; 
that,  after  the  fire,  the  board  had  been  found  in  its 
place  as  before,  but  the  gold  was  gone.  A  dozen  of 
the  neighbors,  at  least,  had  been  into  the  room,  and 
Dock  Vincent  and  Mat  Mogmore  had  been  the  last 
to  leave.  Mr.  Fairfield  was  sure  that  neither  Dock  nor 
Mat  knew  he  had  any  money  in  the  house.  There 
was  no  good  reason  for  supposing  they,  any  more 
than  any  other  of  the  neighbors,  had  taken  the  gold. 
After  a  long  and  careful  examination  of  the  prem- 
ises, and  a  patient  inquiry  into  all  the  circumstances, 
nothing  could  be  brought  forward  to  implicate  any 
person  in  the  robbery.  Levi  was  not  willing  to  be- 
lieve yet  that  the  gold  had  been  stolen.  He  went 
down  cellar,  and  surveyed  the  timbers  under  the 
hole,  hoping  that  the  bags  had  dropped  through ;  but 
he  could  not  find  them.  He  could  not  determine 
whether  or  not  there  was  any  connection  between  the 
fire  and  the  robbery;  but  Mr.  Fairfield  insisted  that 
some  one — he  did  not  say  Levi  now  —  intended  to 


38  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

burn  the  house,  so  as  to  cover  up  the  crime,  or  at 
least  afford  an  opportunity  to  commit  the  theft. 

"  How  could  any  one  set  the  fire  in  the  roof? " 
asked  Levi. 

"  They  might  have  gone  up  there,  as  you  did,"  re- 
plied  the  old  man,  rather  malignantly. 

"Let  us  go  up  and  see  how  the  fire  took,"  added 
Levi.    "Aunt  Susan  had  a  big  fire  in  the  oven." 

"It  couldn't  ketch  afire  up  there  if  she  did,"  re- 
plied uncle  Nathan,  as  he  followed  his  nephew  up 
the  ladder. 

Some  of  the  boards  and  shingles  had  been  burned 
through,  but  the  rafters  were  only  charred.  Levi 
went  up  to  the  chimney  and  examined  the  wood- 
work near  it.  The  house  was  a  very  old  one,  and 
had  been  built  upon  until  its  present  proportions  had 
been  reached.  The  chimney,  where  the  fire  had 
taken,  was  in  the  most  ancient  part,  and  the  bricks 
were  laid  in  clay.  Levi  found  that  three  or  four  of 
them,  on  one  of  the  inside  corners,  had  dropped 
out.  This  was  the  defect  which  the  owner  had  re- 
paired. 

"  There  is  a  great  hole  in  the  chimney,"  said  Levi. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  39 

« I  know  there  is ;  but  I  stopped  that  up  a  month 
ago.  I  hadn't  no  mortar  nor  nothin',  and  I  just 
nailed  a  board  over  the  hole." 

"  That's  the  way  the  fire  took,"  added  Levi,  won- 
dering at  the  carelessness  of  his  uncle. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  there  was  any  heat  up  here, 
twenty  foot  from  the  fire,"  replied  the  old  man,  sheep- 
ishly. 

"  Aunt  Susan  had  a  rousing  fire  in  the  oven.  The 
wind  was  pretty  fresh,  and  I  suppose  the  sparks 
caught  on  the  dry  board.  It  is  clear  enough  to  me 
that  no  one  set  the  house  on  fire." 

"  I  suppose  they  didn't,  then ;  but  somebody  stole 
my  money.  Mebbe  you'll  prove  that  nobody  didn't 
steal  it." 

"I  am  willing  to  take  your  word  for  that;"  and 
the  miser's  visible  sufferings  were  all-sufficient  to  con- 
vince any  person  that  the  money  was  gone,  whether 
any  one  had  stolen  it  or  not. 

Levi  tried  in  vain  to  obtain  a  clew  to  the  lost 
treasure.  He  knew  of  no  one  that  had  visited  the 
house  during  the  fire  who  was  bad  enough  to  steal, 
unless  it  was  Dock  Vincent ;  but  it  was  not  right  to 


40  FEEAKS    OF   FOETTTNE,   OB 

suspect  even  him  of  the  crime  without  some  evi- 
dence. Neither  Levi  nor  his  uncle  saw  how  Dock 
could  have  taken  off  the  board,  removed  the  bags, 
and  then  restored  the  covering,  while  there  were  so 
many  people  in  the  house. 

Dock  Vincent,  after  his  discharge  from  the  state 
prison,  had  gone  to  New  York,  where  he  had  been 
employed  as  the  mate  of  a  steamer.  Six  months 
before  the  story  opens,  his  brother,  residing  in  Bos- 
ton, had  died,  and  as  the  deceased  had  no  femily, 
his  property,  amounting  to  twenty-one  thousand  dol- 
lars, had  been  equally  divided  among  his  two  broth- 
ers and  one  sister.  Dock  fully  believed  that  seven 
thousand  dollars  on  Cape  Ann  would  entirely  wipe 
out  the  disgrace  of  having  served  a  term  in  the  state 
prison,  and  he  returned  to  Rockport,  dressed  in  a 
nice  suit  of  black. 

Dock  was  mistaken;  seven  thousand  dollars  would 
not  varnish  his  character  so  that  good  men  would 
associate  with  him.  He  blustered  and  swelled,  and 
declared  that  he  had  been  taken  up  for  nothing; 
that  this  was  not  a  free  country;  and  that  he  was  a 
better  man  than  thousands  in  town  who  had  never 


HALF   ROUND    TIIE    WOELD.  41 

been  to  the  state  prison.  He  never  forgave  Levi 
for  thwarting  his  plans,  and  swore  roundly  that  he 
would  be  the  ruin  of  him  and  of  Mr.  Watson. 

The  best  friend  Dock  had  was  Nathan  Fairfield, 
and  the  miser  was  not  willing  to  believe  that  Dock 
had  robbed  him  of  his  gold.  After  Levi  went  home 
that  day,  his  uncle  persisted  that  he  had  stolen  the 
money. 


42  FEEAKS    OF   FOETTJNE,   OE 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  PLANK  OVEE  THE  CHASM. 

A  WEEK  of  indescribable  misery  to  Nathan  Fair- 
field, passed  away;  but  no  trace  of  the  robber 
or  the  money  had  been  obtained.  The  constables 
and  the  deputy  sheriff  had  visited  the  premises,  and 
carefully  considered  all  the  facts,  without  affording  the 
miserable  man  a  particle  of  consolation.  He  groaned 
fi'om  morning  till  night,  forlorn  and  desolate,  declar- 
ing that  he  should  come  to  want,  and  die  in  the 
poorhouse. 

Probably  the  money  the  wretch  had  lost  was  not 
a  fifth  part  of  his  fortune,  and  he  was  in  no  more 
danger  of  coming  to  want  than  the  sea  was  of  being 
dried  up.  But  he  felt  as  though  he  had  lost  all ;  and 
if  he  had  been  stripped  of  everything,  he  could  hard- 
ly have  suffered  more.  He  felt  poor,  and  wanted  to 
earn  money  in  some  way.      The   dog-fish  season  had 


HALtf   ROUND   THE   WORLD.  43 

Opened  favorably,  and  he  was  actually  preparing  to 
go  into  the  business  of  catching  them.  Dock  Yin- 
cent  had  promised  him  the  use  of  a  dory,  —  for  he 
could  not  afford  to  buy  one,  —  and  he  had  taken 
Levi's  old  lines  and  repaired  them  for  use. 

Mr.  Fairfield  groaned  and  sighed  all  day  long  while 
he  worked  upon  his  fishing-lines  and  his  trolls.  He 
could  not  tell  who  had  stolen  his  money,  and  in  his 
hatred  of  his  nephew,  he  still  persisted  in  suspecting 
him.  There  was  no  proof,  and  he  could  do  nothing 
but  believe  that  Levi  was  the  thief.  It  was  useless  to 
say  anything  or  do  anything,  for  Levi  was  so  popular 
that  justice  could  not  be  had. 

The  lines,  the  troll,  and  the  bait  were  all  ready, 
and  the  old  man  carried  them  down  to  the  landing- 
place  where  Dock  had  left  the  dory.  Along  the 
shore  of  this  part  of  Cape  Ann  there  is  a  succession 
of  rocky  peninsulas,  extending  out  into  the  sea.  Be- 
tween these  are  the  beaches,  stretching  in  semicircles 
from  bluff  to  bluff,  as  they  have  been  fashioned  by 
the  mighty  waves  which  roll  in  from  the  open  ocean. 
On  these  sandy  shores  the  billows  chant  their  sol- 
emn melody  all    day  and   all   night   long,  and  break 


44  FEEAKS   OF  FOETUNE,  OE 

with  sharper  pitch  and  fiercer  swell  upon  the  jagged 
rocks  that  form  the  headlands. 

On  the  road,  but  a  few  rods  from  Mr.  Fairfield's, 
and  near  one  of  these  peninsulas,  was  the  house  of 
Dock  Vincent,  where  his  family  had  always  lived, 
even  when  he  was  in  New  York.  The  end  of  the' 
headland  curved  round  so  as  to  leave  a  portion  of 
the  water  behind  it  protected  from  the  force  of  the 
sea,  thus  forming  a  sheltered  landing-place.  Off  this 
point  lay  The  Starry  Flag,  and  on  the  rocks  where 
the  boatmen  usually  embarked  were  several  skiffs, 
and  among  them  Dock  Vincent's  dory,  which  Mr. 
Fairfield  was  to  use. 

Across  the  end  of  the  headland,  a  few  rods  from 
the  extreme  point,  was  a  natural  chasm  in  the  rocks, 
through  which  the  water  flowed  at  high  tide.  It 
was  about  ten  feet  wide,  and  rather  more  than  this 
in  depth.  Across  it  a  plank  had  been  placed  for  the 
convenience  of  fishermen  and  others. 

On  the  next  headland,  which  terminated  in  Mike's 
Point,  was  the  new  summer  residence  of  Mr.  Watson. 
He  had  made  a  landing-pier,  which  was  available  at 
half  tide  5  but  Levi  kept  his   boat  at  the  olcf  moor- 


HALF  BOUND   THE   WORLD.  45 

ings,  because  the  place  was  sheltered  from  the  vio- 
lence of  the  north-east  winds,  and  it  was  less  than 
half  a  mile  across  to  the  house  where  he  usually  took 
in  his  passengers. 

Mr.  Fairfield  went  down  to  the  dory,  and  put  his 
fishing-gear  on  board.  He  did  it  as  a  man  goes  to  a 
funeral.  He  had  been  a  fisherman  in  his  younger  days, 
but  it  was  a  bitter  necessity,  in  his  view,  which  now 
compelled  him  to  resume  it  when  he  was  old  and 
stiff.  While  he  was  stowing  the  bait  and  lines  in 
the  skiff,  Dock  Yincent  came  down  to  see  him.  He 
had  laid  aside  his  suit  of  black,  and  now  wore  a  full 
seaman's  rig. 

"Well,  Squire  Fairfield,  have  you  heard  anything 
from  your  money  yet  ? "  demanded  Dock,  as  he  seat- 
ed himself  on  a  rock. 

"  Not  a  •  thing ;  and  'tain't  likely  I  ever  shall, 
nuther,"  replied  Mr.  Fairfield,  with  a  most  distress- 
ing expression  on  his  face. 

"  Haven't  you  any  idea  what  has  become  of  it  ? " 

"Not  the  leastest  grain  in  the  world.  It's  gone, 
and  that's  all  I  know  about  it.  I  did  think  Levi 
took  it,  and  I  hain't  got  done  thinkin'  so  yet." 


46  FEEAKS   OF  FOETUTCE,  OR 

"What  made  you  think  he  took  it?"  asked  Dock, 
with  no  little  interest  manifested  on  his  ugly  face. 

"Well,  he  come  to  the  house  when  I  wan't  in, 
though  I  was  close  by  and  see  him  go  in.  He 
went  up  garret  and  got  a  little  saw-mill  he  made. 
I  went  up  to  the  house,  and  was  just  goin'  to  see 
where  he  was ;  but  I  stopped  a  minute  in  the 
kitchen  to  tell  my  wife  she  was  wastin'  the  wood, 
and  Levi  went  out  afore  I  see  him.  A  little  while 
arter,  the  fire  bruk  out,  and  arter  that  my  money 
was  gone.  Levi's  most  eighteen,  and  it  stands  to 
reason  he  don't  want  no  little  saw-mill  to  play 
with." 

"  Of  course  he  don't,"  added  Dock,  encouragingly. 

"He  said  arterwards  that  he  wanted  to  show  it  to 
the  Watson  gal.  But  what  does  a  city  gal  like  her 
keer  about  a  saw-mill  ?  and  nuther  on  'em  hain't  been 
near  it  sence." 

"That  shows  how  much  they  care  about  it,"  said 
Dock,  who  was  evidently  prepared  to  indorse  the 
old  man's  philosophy. 

"I  can't  help  thinkin'  Levi  set  the  house  afire, 
and  then  took   the  money,"  continued   Mr.  Fairfield, 


HALF   ROUND   TIIE   WORLD.  47 

ignoring  the  current  explanation  of  the  cause  of  the 
fire.  "My  wife  says  'tain't  so,  because  the  boy  has 
all  the  money  he  wants,  and  don't  have  no  occasion 
to  steal;  but  Levi  hain't  no  more  idee  of  the  vally 
of  money  than  he  has  of  flyin',  and  he  throws  it 
away  as  reckless  as  a  sailor  arter  he  comes  home 
from  a  Cape  Horn  v'y'ge." 

"  I  know  he  does ;  if  he  had  to  earn  it,  he  wouldn't 
be  quite  so  free  with  it." 

"Levi  hates  me,  'f  I  am  his  uncle,  and  never  did 
nothing  but  take  good  keer  of  his  money  for  him  — 
he  hates  me  like  destruction;  and  that's  what  makes 
me  think  he  done  it.  He's  a  bad  boy,  if  he  is  goV 
to  jine  the  church.  Folks  will  find  him  out  one  of 
these  days,  and  then  they'll  know  I  told  the  truth 
about  him." 

"  Could  anybody  else  have  taken  the  money  ? 
That's   the  p'int." 

"Not's  I  know  on  — least  ways  nobody  but  you 
and  Mat  Mogmore." 

"You  don't  think  I  took  it— do  you?" 

"  I  hain't  been  able  to  think  so,"  replied  the  miser, 


48  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR: 

looking  up  into  the  face  of  Dock.  "I  allers  thought 
you  set  too  much  by  me  to  sarve  me  sech  a  trick 
as  that.  I've  lent  you  a  good  deal  of  money  one 
time  'n  another." 

"But  I  paid  you  ten  per  cent,  for  it.  I  didn't 
take  your  money,  and  I  know  Mat  Mogmore  didn't. 
I  was  with  him  all  the  time  he  was  in  the  house. 
We  worked  together." 

"It  stands  to  reason,  then,  that  Levi  took  it;  I 
can't  help  thinkin'  so." 

"They  say  he  carries  a  good  many  things  to  your 
house,"  suggested  Dock. 

"  Kerries  a  good  many  things  to  my  house ! "  re- 
peated the  miser  with  a  sneer.  "Mebbe  he  does. 
What  sort  of  things  does  he  kerry  there  ?  Chickens 
and  turkeys,  and  surlines  and  ribs  of  beef,  and  sech 
truck!  He  knows  I  don't  want  sech  things,  and  he 
does  it  jest  to  aggravate  me.  If  he  wants  to  do  any- 
thing for  me,  why  don't  he  gim  me  the  money  he 
pays  out  for  'em?    That's  what  I  want  to  know." 

"I  don't  think  you've  hit  the  nail  on  the  head 
this  time,  Mr.  Fairfield,"  added  Dock,  who  evidently 


HALF   BOUND    THE   WORLD.  40 

had  a  theory  of  his  own  to  propose.  "  They  say 
you  are  worth  some  thirty  or  forty  thousand  dollars, 
Mr.  Fairfield." 

"  Bless  ye !  I  ain't  wuth  no  sech  money.  I've 
got  a  little   or  sunthin,  but  I  expect  to  lose  it  all." 

"Well,  call  it  twenty  thousand,  then." 

"I  ain't  wuth  that,"  added  Mr.  Fairfield,  testily; 
for,  like  all  misers,  he  desired  to  conceal  his  posses- 
sions, as  much  to  blind  the  assessors  as  to  avoid  the 
peril  of  robbery. 

"Well,  you  are  worth  something." 

"A  little  or  sunthin,"  answered  Mr.  Fairfield,  con- 
ceding this  for  the  sake  of  argument. 

"Have  you  made  a  will,   Squire  Fairfield?" 

"ISTo,  I  hain't  made  no  will  I  hain't  got  nothin' 
to  leave  wuth  makin'  a  will  for." 

Dock  did  not  believe  this  statement,  but  he  took 
no  notice  of  it. 

"You  haven't  any  children,  and  if  you  should  die, 
half  of  your  money  would  go  to  Levi,  and  half  to 
your  wife.  If  you  should  die,  Levi  would  make  ten 
or  fifteen  thousand  dollars  by  it.  Don't  you  see  now 
what  he  gives  you  chickens  and  turkeys  for?  He 
4 


50  FREAKS   OF  FORTUNE,   OB 

means  to  keep  things  smooth  till  you  step  out.  If 
you  shouldn't  come  back,  when  you  go  out  after  dog- 
fish to-morrow  morning,  Levi  wouldn't  feel  half  so  bad 
about  it  as  I  should." 

This  was  a  disagreeable  topic  to  the  miser,  and  he 
cut  it  short;  but  the  idea  that  Levi  was  ready  to 
have  him  die  took  fast  hold  of  his  shattered  mind. 
Dock  Vincent  had  produced  the  impression  he  de- 
sired; he  had  added  fresh  fuel  to  the  flame  of  the 
old  man's  hatred;  and  he  was  content  to  let  the 
subject  drop  for  the  present. 

Dock,  finding  himself  a  person  of  no  consequence  at 
the  Cape,  had  already  announced  his  intention  to  emi- 
grate to  Australia  with  his  family ;  and  he  appeared 
to  be  waiting  only  to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon  Levi 
Fairfield,  who  had  defeated  his  plan  to  swindle  Mr. 
Watson  out  of  twenty  thousand  dollars.  The  young 
man  had  exposed  and  ruined  him,  in  his  estimation 
—  not  the  crime ;  and  he  could  not  leave  the  country 
till  he  had  "paid  him  off,"  though  he  was  not  so 
particular  about  his  honest  debts. 

The  next  morning  Dock  went  down  to  the  land- 
ing-place.     When   he   reached    the    chasm,   he    saw 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  51 

Levi  coming  across  the"  beach.  His  eyes  glowed  with 
hatred,  as  they  always  did  when  he  looked  upon  the 
author  of  his  misfortunes,  the  one  whose  testimony 
had  sent  him  to  the  state  prison.  He  did  not  care 
to  meet  him,  and  it  was  evident  that  Levi  was  com- 
ing for  his  boat.  Stooping  down,  he  adjusted  the 
plank  over  the  chasm  in  such  a  way  that  his  victim 
would  be  pitched  down  upon  the  sharp  rocks  beneath, 
the  instant  he  stepped  upon  it.  The  fall  would  not 
kill  him  —  it  would  only  bruise  and  maim  him.  Levi 
was  beneath  the  rocky  precipice,  and  could  not  see 
him. 

There  was  a  smile  on  the  villain's  countenance  as 
he  retreated  to  a  place  of  concealment  near  the  spot, 
to  wait  for  the  disaster  that  should  lay  his  victim 
upon  the  bed  of  pain  and  suffering. 

He  waited  ten  minutes  for  the  crash  of  the  falling 
plank;  but  it  did  not  come.  Rising  from  his  seat, 
he  moved  to  a  position  where,  looking  through  the 
chasm,  he  saw  The  Starry  Flag  standing  over  to- 
wards Mr.  Watson's  house.  Levi  had  walked  on 
the  shelving  rocks,  and  reached  the  landing  without 


52  FEEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OE 

crossing  the  bridge.  Dock  was  disappointed,  and 
began  to  climb  the  rocks  to  readjust  the  plank.  As 
he  ascended,  he  discovered  Mr.  Fairfield,  just  step- 
ping on  the  bridge.  He  shouted,  but  it  was  too 
late;  the  end  of  the  plank  slipped  off,  the  old  man 
danced  ^upon  nothing,  and  sank  in  the  abyss  below. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  53 


CHAPTER  V. 


AN    INDUCTIVE    ARGUMENT. 


DOCK  VINCENT  was  appalled  to  find  that  he 
had  tumbled  Mr.  Fairfield  into  the  chasm; 
not  that  he  was  disturbed  by  any  compunctions  of 
conscience,  but  because  he  wished  to  keep  on  the 
right  side  of  the  old  man,  from  prudential  motives. 
He  was  in  doubt  whether  to  exhibit  himself  to  the 
injured  man  or  not.  If  he  showed  himself,  he  might 
be  suspected  of  setting  the  trap  into  which  the  miser 
had  fallen. 

The  old  man  might  be  dead,  and  curiosity,  if  no 
stronger  motive,  induced  him  to  inquire  into  his  con- 
dition ;  but  he  took  the  precaution  to  reach  the  path 
by  a  roundabout  way,  and  approach  the  chasm  as 
though  he  had  just  come  from  his  house.  When 
he  reached  the  abyss,  he  found  Mr.  Fairfield  had 
risen,   and  was  trying  to   climb   up  the   rocks.     He 


54  FREAKS    OP   FORTUNE,   OR 

was  groaning  and  taking  on  as  though  he  had  been 
badly  hurt. 

"What's  the  matter,  Squire  Fairfield?"  demanded' 
Dock.     "What  you  doing  down  there?" 

"  O  !  O  !  "  groaned  the  miser. 

"Looking  for  your  money  in  there?" 

"O!     No!     O!    I    fell   in,"    said  the    sufferer,   in 
gasps. 

"Fell  in!     Why,  how  did   that  happen?"   asked 
Dock,  with  well-feigned  astonishment. 

"  I   donno.     O !   that  plank  gin   away,  O,  and  let 
me  down." 

"Are  you  hurt?" 

"Most  killed,"    replied  Mr.   Fairfield,   holding    his 
breath,  and  then  exploding  the  words. 

Dock  walked    clown  the    shelving  bank  above   the 
water,  and  then  entered  the  chasm. 

"Where  are  you  hurt?"  he  asked. 

"  My  hips  is  both  broke,  and  I'm  jarred  e'enamost 
to  pieces." 

"  I    guess  your    hips    aren't    broke ;    you    couldn't 
stand  up  if  they  were,"  suggested  Dock. 

"Sunthin's  broke,  I  know." 


HALF   ROUND   THE   WOULD.  55 

"Sit  down  on  this  rock,  and  let  me  see  what  is 

broke." 

Mr.  Fairfield  complied,  and  Dock,  who,  as  the 
master  of  a  vessel,  had  had  some  experience  with 
sickness  and  injuries,  carefully  examined  the  old  man's 
limbs.  He  was  badly  bruised  in  several  places,  on 
the  legs  and  arms,  but  no  bones  appeared  to  be 
broken,  so  far  as  Dock's  surgical  skill  could  discern. 
The  jar  of  the  fall  had  doubtless  racked  his  frame 
severely ;  but  the  miser  was  still  a  strong  man,  phys- 
ically, and  could  bear  a  pretty  hard  rap. 

After  resting  a  while,  and  rubbing  his  limbs,  the 
sufferer  was  able,  with  the  assistance  of  Dock,  to 
walk  home.  He  went  to  bed,  and  his  wife  bathed 
his  limbs,  and  dressed  the  bruises  on  his  legs  and 
arms. 

"  Shall  I  go  for  the  doctor,  Squire  Fairfield?"  asked 
Dock,  when  he  had  assisted  the  patient  into  his  bed. 

"  The  doctor  ?  No  ;  he  charges  a  dollar  a  visit," 
replied  the  old  man,  fearfully ;  for  the  idea  of  paying 
a  physician's  bill  filled  him  with  horror.  "You  say 
there  ain't  no  bones  broke;  so  I  don't  need  no 
doctor." 


56 

"  He  don't  need  no  doctor,"  added  Mrs.  Fairfield. 

"I  don't  think  you  do  myself.  I've  had  worse 
cases  than  this  aboard  my  vessel,  and  I  got  along 
without  any  doctors.  You'll  be  all  right  in  a  week 
or  two,  Squire  Fairfield." 

"It's  jest  my  luck"  sighed  the  miser.  "  Every- 
thing's goin'  wrong  with  me.  I  shouldn't  be  a  grain 
surprised  if  the  house  burned  down  over  my  head 
afore  I  got  out  agin.  I  shan't  ketch  no  dog-fish 
to-day,  that's  sartain.  There's  ten  dollars  out  o'  my 
pocket,  as  sure's  you  live!" 

Dock  was  a  rough  comforter;  but  he  spoke  such 
words  of  consolation  as  the  occasion  required  and  his 
vocabulary  contained. 

"It's  jest  my  luck,"  rej^eated  the  miser.  "Every 
other  man  in  town  might  have  walked  over  that 
plank,  and  it  wouldn't  gin  away.  I  walked  over 
that  plank  last  night,  and  airly  this  morning.  I  see, 
when  I  stepped  on  to  it,  that  somebody  had  been 
a  movin'  on  it;  but  I  didn't  know  the  'tother  eend 
was  only  just  ketched  on  to  the  rock." 

"  Who  moved  it  ? "  asked  Dock,  rather  disturbed 
by  this  suggestion  of  a  suspicion. 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WOELD.  57 

"I  don't  know  nothin'  about  it;  but  somebody's 
been  a  movin'  on  it,  or  it  wouldn't  a  gin  away  under 
me,  and  let  me  down." 

"  But  who  could  have  moved  the  plank  ? "  per- 
sisted Dock. 

"  I  donno ;  the  eend  I  stepped  on  was  kinder 
hauled  up." 

"  You  say  the  plank  was  all  right  in  the  morning, 
when  you  went  down  ?  " 

"  Sartin  it  was.  I  went  over  it,  and  fixed  the  dory, 
ready  to  go  arter  dog-fish,  arter  breakfast." 

"Well,  the  question  is,  Who  has  been  down  to 
the  P'int  since   you  went?" 

"  I  donno ;  but  I  believe  somebody's  tryin'  to  kill 
me — that's  what  I  believe." 

"  O,  nonsense!  who  should  want  to  kill  you?" 

"I  donno,"  replied  Mr.  Fairfield,  hastily,  and  in  a 
tone  which  implied  that  he  knew  very  well  who  in- 
tended to  kill  him,  but  he  did  not  wish  to  name  the 
person.  "  If  I  hadn't  been  as  tough  as  an  old  black- 
fish,  it  would  have  killed  me,  as  sure  as  fate;  that's 
the  whole  truth  on't !  " 

"But  who  could  have  set  such  a  trap?"  persisted 
Dock. 


58  FEEAKS   OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  You  didn't  —  did  you  ? "  added  the  old  man, 
innocently. 

"  Of  course  I  didn't.  You  don't  think  I'd  do  such 
a  thing  as  that,"  said  Dock,  laughing. 

"My  wife  didn't  — did  she?" 

"  Massy  sakes !  What's  got  into  your  head,  Na- 
than ?  "  interposed  the  old  lady.  "  Goodness  knows 
I  didn't  do  no  sech   thing." 

Mrs.  Fairfield  was  a  simple-minded  woman,  and  she 
did  not  comprehend  that  her  disabled  lord  was  only 
reasoning  by  an  interrogatory  and  inductive  method. 

"  Certainly  Mrs.  Fairfield  didn't  meddle  with  the 
plank,"  added  Dock. 

"'Twan't  Mr.  Watson  —  was  it?  nor  the  Watson 
gal,  nuther?" 

"  No,"   answered   Dock. 

"Who  was  it,  then — don't  you  see?" 

Dock  did  not  choose  to  see  yet,  though  his  mental 
visuals  had  perceived  from  the  beginning  what  the 
old  man  was  driving  at;  and  he  was  greatly  re- 
joiced to  have  the  suspicion  turned  away  from  him- 
self. 

"Who  else    goes  down    on  to  that  P'int,  almost 


HALF   HOUND    TIIE    WORLD.  59 

every  day  of  the  week,  'cept  Sunday  ?  —  and  he  don't 
go  then  'cause  he's  go'n'  to  jine  the  church,"  contin- 
ued the  miser,  excited  by  the  topic  he  was  discussing. 

"  You  don't  mean  Levi  —  do  you  ? "  said  Dock, 
opening  his  eyes  as  wide  as  the  hawse-holes  of  a 
man-of-war. 

"I  see  The  Starry  Flag  a  standin'  over  to  Mr. 
Watson's  new  house  when  I  was  goin'  down  to  the 
Pint." 

"  Did  you  ? "  asked  Dock,  when  the  old  man 
paused  to  note  the  effect  of  the  climax  of  the  induc- 
tive argument  upon  the  listener. 

"I  sartainly  did.  That  proves  that  Levi  went 
down  to  the  P'int  afore  I  did — don't  it?" 

"  Well  —  yes ;  he  went  down  there,  of  course,"  add- 
ed Dock,  in  rather  deprecating  tones.  "He  couldn't 
have  got  his  boat  if  he  hadn't  gone  down  there." 

"  Then  of  course  Levi  done  it ! "  exclaimed  the 
old  man.  "  'Tain't  no  use  o'  beating  round  the  bush 
no  more.    Levi  done  it,  and  he  meant  to  kill  me." 

"'Tain't  so!"  protested  Mrs.  Fairfield,  warmly. 
"There  ain't  no  sense  nor  reason  in  savin'  Levi  done 
it.    Levi  wouldn't  do  seek  a  thing." 


60  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"  He  may  jine  all  the  churches  in  town,  but  I  tell 
you  he's  a  bad  boy,  and  he's  go'n'  as  straight  to  the 
gallows  as  a  chicken  goes  to  her  dough.  Don't  you 
know  how  he  used  me?  how  he  fit  me,  and  found 
fault  with  his  victuals ;  and  then  got  all  the  property 
took  away  from  me,  jest  because  I  wouldn't  let  him 
spend  it  all  ?  Don't  tell  me !  I  know  what  Levi 
Fairfield  is  better  'n  any  other  man." 

"What  on  airth  should  the  boy  wan't  to  break 
your  bones  for,  let  alone  killin'  on  you?"  demanded 
Mrs.  Fairfield. 

"  O,  well,  Susan,  you're  nothm'  but  a  woman ;  and 
we  can't  expect  women  folks  to  see  through  every- 
thing —  can  we,  Dock  ?  " 

"Your  wife  has  excellent  judgment  about  things 
in  general,  Squire  Fairfield,"  replied  Dock,  smoothly. 

"There  now!  Tell  me  I  don't  know!"  retorted 
the  irate  helpmate,  somewhat  appeased  by  the  deli- 
cate compliment.  "'Tain't  in  reason  that  boy  meant 
to  do  sech  a  thing." 

Mr.  Fairfield  groaned,  and  changed  his  position  in 
the  bed.  His  bones  ached,  and  his  bruises  smarted ; 
but    the    task    of   showing    that    Levi    was    wicked 


HALF   BOUND    THE   WORLD.  61 

enough  even  to  plan  a  deliberate  murder  was  too 
pleasing  a  one  to  be  abandoned,  though  the  twinges 
of  pain  that  darted  through  the  miser's  limbs  indi- 
cated rest  both  for  body  and  mind.  The  sufferer 
rehearsed  all  the  points  bearing  ^gainst  his  nephew 
in  the  heinous  act  under  consideration,  and  he  suc- 
ceeded in  satisfying  himself  and  his  visitor  that  the 
young  man  intended  to  shorten  his  uncle's  life.  Mrs. 
Fairfield,  —  grateful  for  the  newspapers,  which  had 
given  her  a  new  joy  in  the  desolate  world,  and  for 
the  chickens,  turkeys,  and  roasting-pieces,  which  af- 
orded  her  an  occasional  respite  from  salt  fish  and 
fresh  fish,  —  Mrs.  Fairfield  was  obstinate,  and  refused 
to  "believe  that  Levi  —  who,  by  the  way,  had  just 
added  the  "  Cape  Ann  Light "  to  his  aunt's  sum 
total  of  earthly  joys  —  was  capable  of  doing  a  wick- 
ed act. 

"  Women  folks  don't  see  through  things,"  said  Mr. 
Fairfield,  disgusted  at  his  wife's  want  of  perception. 
"  I've  been  thinkin'  o'  what  you  said  last  night,"  he 
added,  turning  to  Dock.  "  I  never  thought  of  sech  a 
thing  before ;  but,  I  vow,  it's  just  as  you  said." 

"Well,  Squire   Fairfield,  I   didn't   say  that   to   set 


62  FREAKS   OF  FORTUNE,   OK 

you  against  the  boy;  only  to  have  you  keep  your 
eyes  open,"   replied  Dock. 

"  When  I  fell  into  that  hole,  it  opened  my  eyes  so 
wide,  I  shan't  shet  'em  agin  very  soon." 

Mrs.  Fairfield  w%nted  to  know  "what  on  airth  all 
this  talk  meant ; "  and  the  relations  of  Levi  to  his 
uncle's  post-mortem  estate  were  explained,  so  that 
"  women  folks  "  could  understand  them.  She  did  not 
believe  Levi  cared  for  the  property,  what  there  was 
of  it,  and  she  was  not  yet  willing  to  believe  that  he 
set  the  trap  to  destroy  his  uncle. 

"I  believe  it;  and  what's  more,  I  know  it,"  per- 
sisted the  miser.  "  But  I'll  cheat  him  out  of  it ;  I'll 
make  a  will  this  very  day!  I'll  give  what  little  I 
have   to  Susan — I  will,  by  gracious!" 

"  It's  very  proper  for  you  to  do  so,"  replied  Dock, 
mildly. 

"Can't  you  write  a  will,  Dock?" 

"Me!  No.  I  don't  know  how.  You  must  make 
it  strong,  or  they'll  break  it,  you  know.  Better  send 
for  Squire  Saunders,  and  have  it  done  right." 

"Squire  Saunders  !"  exclaimed  the  invalid.  "What'll 
he  charge?" 


HALF  ROUND  THE  WOELD.  63 

"O,  five  dollars,  perhaps." 

"Five  dollars!  What,  jest  for  writin'  a  little  or 
sunthin  ?  " 

"Perhaps  he  won't  charge  you  more  than  three." 

"I  shan't  give  no  three  dollars,  nuther.  I  can't 
afford  it.     I'm  e'enamost  stripped  of  everything  now." 

The  will  was  not  made,  and  Dock  left  the  house, 
promising  to  call  again  in  the  afternoon. 


64  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE    STARRY    FLAG. 


LEVI  FAIRFIELD,  in  happy  ignorance  of  the 
misfortune  which  had  befallen  his  uncle,  headed 
The  Starry  Flag  towards  the  mansion  of  Mr.  Wat- 
son. This  was  to  be  a  great  day  with  him,  and  he 
was  filled .  with  hope  and  exultation. 

The  Starry  Flag  was  a  capital  boat,  but  Levi  had 
long  been  beset  by  an  ambition  to  sail  something 
larger.  This  desire  was  about  to  be  realized,  for  Mr. 
"Watson,  always  a  lover  of  the  sea,  had  contracted 
for  a  yacht  of  eighty  tons,  at  the  establishment  of  a 
celebrated  builder  in  the  city.  She  was  to  be  ready 
by  the  1st  of  June,  but  she  was  not  completely 
stored  and  furnished  ti!$  the  10th. 

Mr.  Watson  had  remained  i#  the  city  over  t night, 
and  was  to  sail  in  the  yacht  for  his  summer  home 
the   next    morniug  —  on    the   day   that   Levi    missed 


HALF    ROUND   THE    WORLD.  65 

falling  into  the  chasm.  As  the  wind  was  fair,  and 
tolerably  fresh,  the  young  skipper  thought  she  would 
arrive  by  noon,  and  he  was  to  take  the  ladies  round 
as  far  as  Eastern  Point,  to  give  her  a  welcome  to 
the  waters  of  the  Cape, 

Levi  was  to  be  the  commander  of  the  yacht,  and 
he»was  every  way  qualified  for  the  position.  He  had 
studied  navigation,  could  take  an  observation,  and  do 
all  the  problems  required  of  a  thorough  sailing  mas- 
ter. On  the  deck  of  a  vessel  he  was  in  his  element, 
and  there  was  not  a  point  in  navigation  or  seaman- 
ship with  which  he  was  not  familiar.  He  could  not 
only  hand,  ree^  and  steer,  but  he  could  knot  and 
splice,  parcel  and  serve,  as  neatly  and  as  skilfully  as 
a  veteran  man-of-war's  man.  He  was  interested  in 
such  matters,  and  had  spent  hours  and  hours  in  mak- 
ing short  and  long  splices,  eye  splices,  Turk's  heads, 
and  other  parts  of  rigging,  until  he  was  an  adept 
in  the  art. 

Bessie  had  been  the  prime  mover  in  this  enter- 
prise. She  insisted  upon  having  a  craft  in  which  the 
whole  family  could  go  off  for  a  month,  and  be  almost 
as  comfortable  as  in  their  own  home.  She  prevailed 
i 


66  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUNE,   OB 

in  this,  as  she  did  in  nearly  everything  which  involved 
only  the  will  of  her  father  to  gratify  her. 

Bessie  and  Mrs.  McGilvery  were  handed  into  the 
boat  at  the  pier  behind  the  house,  and  The  Starry 
Flag  was  soon  dancing  over  the  long  waves  that  roll 
into  Sandy  Bay  from  the  broad  ocean.  All  the  party 
were  excited;  for  to  see  a  splendid,  new  yacht,  in 
which  they  hoped  to  have  many  good  times,  was 
enough  to  kindle  a  glowing  enthusiasm  in  such  lov- 
ers of  the  art  of  boating. 

"You  don't  know  her  name  yet — do  you,  Levi?" 
said  Bessie,  in  a  kind  of  taunting  tone. 

"  I  do  not,  but  I  shall  soon  find  out  if  this  breeze 
holds,"  replied  the  skipper,  who  had  been  wilfully 
kept  in  ignorance  on  this  important  matter. 

« "Wouldn't  you  like  to  know  ?  "  added  Bessie,  teas- 
ing him. 

"Of  course  I  would;  but  I  am  willing  to  wait  a 
few  hours  longer." 

"  Why  don't  you  manifest  a  little  impatience  about 
it?"  pouted  she. 

"It  wouldn't  do  any  good;  besides,  I  am  a  Yan- 
kee, and  I  think  I  can  guess  what  her  name  is.  In- 
deed, I  feel  almost  sure  I  know  it." 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  67 

"What  do  you  think  it  is?" 

"That's  telling,"  laughed  Levi. 

"But  won't  you  tell  me?"  said  Bessie,  assuming 
an  imploring  look. 

"  I  thitfk  I  will  pay  you  off  by  keeping  still." 

"Do  tell  me  what  you  think  it  is.  I  shall  not 
like  it  if  you  don't." 

Levi  would  have  dived  down  among  the  fishes  if 
such  had  been  her  will,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
answer,  — 

"  Of  course  there  is  only  one  name  for  her,  and 
your  father  must  have  chosen  that." 

"Perhaps  not.  But  why  don't  you  say  what  you 
think  the  name  is?" 

"  Will  you  tell  me  if  I  guess  right  ? " 

"  I  will  if  you  guess  right  the  first  time." 

"  Very  well ;  here  goes,  then !  Her  name  is  the 
Bessie  Watson,  to  be  sure.  There  is  no  other  name 
fit  for  her." 

"No!  How  absurd  you  are,  Levi  Fairfield!"  re- 
plied Bessie,  blushing  up  to  the  eyes. 

"No?  Why,  that  ought  to  be  her  name,  if  it 
isn't.     It's  the  Bessie,  the  Bessie  Watson,  or  some- 


68  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

thing  of  that  kind.  I  know  it  is.  Of  course  your 
father  wouldn't  think  of  calling  her  by  any  other 
name." 

"  It  isn't  anything  of  the  kind,  Levi.  I  am  will- 
ing  to  confess  that  father  wanted  to  name  her  after 
me,  but  I  wouldn't  let  him.     I  wanted  another  name." 

"  I'm  sorry  you  did,  for  I  wanted  that  name ;  and 
I  shall  not  enjoy  her  half  so  much  as  I  should  if  she 
had  been  called  after  you,"  replied  Levi,  not  at  all  in 
the  tones  of  gallantry,  but  in  those  of  simple  truth 
and  sincerity. 

"It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  say  so,  and  to  think 
so,  Levi;  but  I  believe  she  has  received  a  better 
name,"  added  Bessie,  not  unmoved  by  the  devotion 
of  the  gallant  skipper. 

"  There  isn't  any  better  name.  I'm  really  disap- 
pointed." 

"You  will  not  be  when  you  read  her  name." 

"  But  what  is  the  name  ?  "  asked  Levi,  seriously. 

"The  —  why,  I  almost  told  you!"  laughed  Bessie. 

"  I  hope  it  is  not  a  hard  name,  for  sailors  make 
such  a  fuss  about  jaw-breaking  words.  An  old  coast- 
er meant   to  name  his  vessel   the  Amphitrite,  but  he 


HALF    KOUND    THE    WORLD.  69 

gave  the  name  of  Anthracite  to  the  painter,  and  it 
was  duly  lettered  upon  the  stern.  However,  it  an- 
swered just  as  well,  as  the  craft  went  into  the  coal 
trade." 

"  It  isn't  a  long  name,  nor  a  hard  one,  and  I  know 
it  will  suit  you." 

"  Well,  Bessie,  if  it  suits  you,  it  will  suit  me,"  add- 
ed Levi;  "though  I  did  ho-pa  she  would  be  called 
the  Bessie." 

The  Starry  Flag  sped  on  her  way,  and  before  noon 
was  off  Eastern  Point.  There  were  several  coasters 
ajyproaching,  but  Levi  could  not  make  out  the  yacht 
till  he  examined  every  craft  with  the  spy-glass. 

"I  see  her!"  exclaimed  he,  as  he  headed  his  boat 
so  as  to  intercept  her. 

"Is  she  handsome?"  asked  Bessie. 

"I  can't  make  her  out  very  well  at  this  distance; 
but  we  shall  be  up  with  her  in  half  an   hour  or  so." 

Bessie  looked  through  the  glass,  and  so  did  Mrs. 
McGilvery,  but  they  did  not  obtain  much  satisfaction. 
The  yacht  was  making  her  ten  knots,  and  in  the 
time  Levi  had  named  they  were  within  hailing  dis- 
tance of  her. 


70  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

"  She  is  a  beauty,  and  no  mistake ! "  exclaimed  the 
skipper,  warmly.  "  She  is  pretty  enough  to  be  called 
the  Bessie  Watson." 

"  You  mustn't  say  such  things,  Levi.  They  are 
not  pretty,"  said  Bessie,  very  seriously. 

"  The  yacht  is  pretty  enough,  and  so  is  the  one 
she  ought  to  have  been  named  after,"  persisted  the 
gallant  skipper. 

"  There  it  is  again !  You  are  real  naughty,  Levi," 
pouted  she;  and  probably,  like  all  pretty  girls,  she 
had  a  distaste  for  compliments. 

"  Yacht  ahoy  !  "  shouted  Levi. 

But  Mr.  Watson  had  already  recognized  The  Starry 
Flag,  and  the  yacht  was  thrown  up  into  the  wind. 
Levi  hauled  in  his  sheet,  and  sailed  in  a  graceful 
curve  around  the  stern  of  the  vessel,  intent  upon 
reading  the  secret  which  had  been  so  persistently 
kept  from  him. 

"Now  you  will  know!"  exclaimed  Bessie,  gazing 
anxiously  into  his  face  to  observe  the  effect  of  the 
discovery  upon  him. 

"  Dog-fish  and  dunderfunk ! "  ejaculated  Levi,  as  he 
read  the  name,   "  Tiie  Starry  Flag!" 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  71 

"  There  now,  Mr.  Skipper !  Isn't  that  the  name 
of  all  names  for  her.?" 

"  The  Starry  Flag ! "  repeated  Levi,  as  he  gazed  at 
the  golden  letters  on  the  stern  of  the  yacht. 

"Why  don't  you  say  something,  you  absurd  skip- 
per ?  I'm  dying  to  know  what  you  think  of  it,  and 
you   don't  say  a  word." 

"I  like  it  first-rate;  but  if  I  had  read  'Bessie' 
there,  I  should  have  liked  it  better,  much  as  I  like 
it  now." 

"  I  couldn't  have  her  named  after  me !  How  ridic- 
ulous !     I'm  sorry  you  don't  like  the  name." 

"  But  I  do  like  it,  Bessie ;  though  you  couldn't 
expect  me  to  like  any  other  name  as  well  as  yours." 

"  Why,  how  absurd  you  are ! "  replied  Bessie,  as 
Levi  ran  the  boat  up  to  the  yacht. 

The  gangway  had  been  rigged  so  that  the  passage 
from  one  craft  to  the  other  was  an  easy  matter,  even 
for  ladies.  Mr.  Watson  assisted  them  on*  board.  One 
of  the  hands,  who  knew  the  coast,  was  deputed  to 
take  charge  of  The  Starry  Flag,  and  Levi  went  on 
board  of  the  beautiful  vessel  he  was  to  command. 

"Well,  Levi,  what  do  you  think  of  her?"   asked 


72  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

Mr.  Watson,  after  they  had  walked  around  the  deck, 
and  inspected  the  cabin  and  cook-room  of  the  yacht* 

"  She  is  magnificent,  sir  f "  replied  Levi.  "  She  is, 
without  exception,  the  finest  yacht  I  ever  saw,  and  I 
have  examined  a  great  many." 

"I  am  glad  she  suits  you.  How  do  you  like  the 
name  ?  " 

"  Very  much,  sir,  though  if  it  had  been  the  Bessie, 
I  should  have  liked  it  better." 

"  I  intended  to  give  her  that  name,  but  Bessie  was 
contrary,  and  insisted  that  she  should  be  called  The 
Starry  Flag,  in  grateful  remembrance  of  her  trip  from 
the  Penobscot.  I  really  appreciate  her  motives,  and 
both  of  us  desire  to  perpetuate  the  name  of  your 
boat  by  giving  it  to  the  finest  yacht  that  could  be 
built." 

"  Since  it  pleases  both  you  and  her,  I  ought  to 
be  satisfied  with  it  —  and  I  am.  We  have  two 
Starry  Flags  now,  and  we  may  get  them  mixed." 

"The  name  of  your  boat  shall  henceforth  be  The 
Starry  Flag,  Jr.,"  laughed  Mr.  Watson.  "  When  we 
say  The  Starry  Flag,  we  mean  the  yacht,  and  when 
we  say  The  Starry  Flag,  Jr.,  we  mean  your  boat " 


HALF   EOUND    THE    WORLD.  73 

The  Starry  Flag,  then,  cut  her  way  through  the 
long  billows  at  a  rate  which  was  highly  gratifying  to 
the  embryo  captain,  who,  prompt  to  his  instincts,  had 
taken  the  helm,  when  he  had  examined  her.  He 
declared  that  she  steered  splendidly,  and  he  was  sure 
she  would  prove  to  be  a  good  sea-boat.  In  a  short 
time  she  came  to  anchor  off  Mike's  Point.  The 
steward  had  prepared  a  lunch  for  the  party,,  and  they 
sat  clown  at  the  table  as  soon  as  the  yacht  swung 
round  to  her  cable. 

"  Now,  Levi,  you  must  get  a  crew  for  your  vessel. 
These  men,  with  the  exception  of  the  cook  and  stew- 
ard, will  return  to  Boston  this  afternoon,"  said  Mr. 
Watson. 

"  Are  the  crew  to  leave  her  ? " 

"  I  only  engaged  them  to  bring  her  down,  for  I 
thought  that  you  would  prefer  to  select  your  own 
hands." 

"  I  should,"  replied  Levi,  thinking  what  young  men 
he  could  procure. 

"We  shall  be  ready  to  start  on  our  cruise  to  the 
eastward  in  three  or  four  days "  added  Mr.  Watson. 

"I  will  be  ready,  sir" 


74  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

By  the  time  the  lunch  was  disposed  of,  The  Starry- 
Flag,  Jr.  had  arrived,  and  Levi  landed  the  party. 
He  was  anxious  to  engage  his  crew,  and  he  ran  tho 
boat  over  to  her  moorings;  On  the  rocks  he  found 
Dock  Vincent,  who  had  been  observing  the  yacht. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  75 


CHAPTER   VII. 


GRATE    CHARGES. 


WHAT  vessel's  that,  Levi?"  asked  Dock  Vin- 
cent, as  the  young  skipper  landed  on  the 
rocks. 

"It's  The  Starry  Flag,"  replied  Levi,  smiling. 

"  No,  I  mean  the  large  yacht,  off  the  Point." 

«  So  do  I." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  vessel 's  called 
The  Starry  Flag  !  " 

"Yes,  I  do;  that's  her  name.  My  boat  is  now 
called  The  Starry  Flag,  Jr.,"  answered  Levi,  begin- 
ning to  move  off,  for  he  was  not  disposed  to  hold 
any  intercourse  with  such  a  person  as  Dock  Vincent. 

"Hold  on  a  minute,  Levi;  tell  us  about  her,"  said 
Dock.     "What  is  she  for?" 

"  A  yacht ;  but  I  am  in  a  hurry  now." 

•"Wait  a  minute.  I  have  some  bad  news  to  tell 
you." 


76  FEEAKS    OF    FOETUNE,    OE 

"Bad  news?" 

"Your  uncle  had  an  ugly  fall  this  morning,  just 
after  you  went  off  in  the  boat,"  added  Dock. 

"Where  did  he  fall?"  asked  the  young  skipper, 
interested  now,  and  troubled  by  the  information. 

"  He  fell  into  the  cut,  where  the  plank  crosses  it," 
replied  Dock,  jwinting  to  the  place  where  the  acci- 
dent had  occurred. 

"Is  he  much  hurt?" 

"Yes;  I  think  the  old  man  is  putty  badly  dam- 
aged in  his  timbers.  He  has  taken  to  his  bed,  and 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  had  to  stay  there  a 
month." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  it,"  said  Levi,  with  entire  sincerity. 
"How   did  it  happen?" 

Dock  exj:>lained  how  it  happened,  taking  care  to 
locate  himself  at  a  considerable  distance  from  "the 
scene  of  the  catastrophe. 

"  The  old  man  thinks  somebody  fixed  the  plank  so 
as  to  make  him  fall,"  added  he,  finishing  his  narrative. 

"  To  make  him  fall  ! "  exclaimed  the  attentive  lis- 
tener.     "Who  does  he  think  did  it?" 

"  Well,  Levi,  he  thinks  you  did  it,"  answered  Dock, 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  77 

softening   his  tones,  so  as  not  to  commit  himself  to 
this  view. 

"  I ! " 

"The  old  man  thinks  so,  but  that  don't  make  it 
so,  you  know." 

"What  makes  him  think  I  did  it?" 

"  Because  you  were  the  last  person  that  went  down 
to  the  P'int  before  he  did.  You  were  running  over 
to  Watson's  new  house,  in  the  Flag,  when  the  thing 
happened." 

"I  haven't  been  over  the  plank  to-day,"  said  Levi. 

"You  went  to  your  boat  just  before  the  old  man 
come  down  here;  and  he  don't  see  who  else  could 
have  done  it." 

"I  did  not  cross  on  the  plank;  I  went  along  on 
the  rocks,  as  I  always  do  when  I  come  across  the 
second  beach,"  protested  the  young  skipper. 

"Well,  I  don't  know  anything  about  it,  you  see, 
Levi,"  added  Dock,  in  deprecatory  tones.  "  I  only  tell 
you  what  the  old  man  told  me.  He  knows  you 
hate  him." 

"  But  1  don't  hate  him." 

"Don't  you?"  asked  Dock,  with  a  sceptical  grin. 


78  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"I'm  sure  I  do  not,"  answered  Levi,  with  em- 
phasis. 

"  Perhaps  you  don't ;  but  after  all  the  trouble  there's 
been  between  you  and  the  old  mau,  it  wouldn't  be 
strange  if  you  hated  him  and  he  hated  you." 

Probably  Dock  was  as  sincere  as  Levi;  for  there 
was  not  a  Christian  idea  in  his  head,  or  a  Christian 
purpose  in  his  heart.  He  had  no  keener  perception 
of.  the  sublime  doctrine  of  forgiving  one's  enemies, 
than  the  beasts  of  the  field  or  the  fowls  of  the  air. 
In  his  view  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the 
world  for  the  uncle  to  hate  the  nephew,  and  for  the 
nephew  to  hate  the  uncle ;  and  he  did  not  believe  it 
possible  for  either  of  them  to  banish  the  foul  impulse 
from  his  heart. 

"I  don't  hate  my  uncle;  I  would  do  anything  in 
the  world  for  him,"  continued  Levi,  earnestly,  but 
thoughtfully,  for  he  was  deeply  pained  by  the  suspi- 
cions of  his  uncle. 

"I'm  going  up  to  see  the  old  man,  by  and  by, 
and  I'll  tell  him  what  you  say  about  it,"  added 
Dock. 

"  I  have  a  great  deal  to  do,  but  I  shall  go  and  see 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  79 

him  myself,"  said  Levi,  as  he  began  to  move  up  the 
rocks  again. 

"What's  your  hurry,  Levi?  I  want  to  talk  with 
you  about  that  vessel.     She  is  a  fine  schooner." 

"  She  is  all  that.  I  have  to  find  a  crew  for  her, 
for  we  are  going  off  on  a  cruise  in  three  or  four 
days.  Do  you  know  of  any  young  fellows  who  want 
to  make  good  wages  without  working  very  hard?" 

"  Yes ;  there's  Mat  Mogmore,"  replied  Dock,  after 
a  little  reflection.  "  He'll  make  a  first-rate  hand  for 
you.  I  rather  think  he'll  go  off  to  Australia  with 
me  in  the   Caribbee." 

"In  the  what?" 

"  In  the  Caribbee  —  that's  my  vessel.  She's  a 
schooner,  rather  larger  than  that  yacht,  and  she'll 
outsail  anything  of  her  inches  that  ever  floated.  If 
you  want  Mat  Mogmore,  he'll  be  glad  of  a  lay  in 
that  yacht,  for  I  shan't  get  off  for  three  weeks  yet. 
I'll  speak  to  him  about  it." 

Levi  preferred  to  do  his  own  speaking,  not  wish- 
ing to  place  himself  under  any  obligation,  however 
slight,  to  a  man  of  Dock's  character  and  antecedents. 
He   decided  to   visit  his  uncle   at   once,   and   call  at 


80  EEEAKS    OP   FOETUNE,   OE 

Mr.  Mogmore's  house  on  his  way  home.  With  some 
difficulty  he  escajDed  from  his  ancient  enemy,  and 
crossing  the  plank,  which  had  been  placed  in  its 
original  j^osition  by  Dock  after  the  accident,  he 
walked  up  the  tongue  of  land,  dreading  the  scene 
at  his  uncle's  which  the  information  he  had  received 
led  him  to  exj>ect. 

He  found  his  aunt  in  the  kitchen,  and  inquired 
particularly  into  the  condition  of  uncle  Nathan.  She 
thought  he  was  "  a  leetle  more  comfortable,"  and 
told  Levi  to  go  in  and  see  him  if  he  wanted  to,  for 
she  was  confident  that  the  young  man  could  clear 
himself  from  the  grave   charge  preferred  against  him. 

"How  do  you  feel,  uncle  Nathan?"  asked  Levi, 
kindly,  as  he  entered  the  bed-room. 

The  old  man  looked  at  him  with  a*  savage  stare, 
but  made  no  rej)ly. 

"I  a/n  sorry  you  have  had  such  a  fall,"  continued 
Levi. 

"No,  you  ain't  sorry,  nuther!  What  do  you  want 
to  say  that  for,  Levi  Fairfield?  It's  all  your  work, 
and  'tain't  likely  you  keer  how  much  I  suffer,"  growled 
the  injured  man,  his  words  interspersed  with  many  a 
groan. 


HALF   ROUND   THE   WORLD.  81 

"  What   is  my  work,  uncle  ? "  asked  Levi,  mildly. 

"  Didn't  you  fix  that  plank  over  tlie  cut  so's  to 
gim   me  this   fall?" 

"  No,  sir,  I'm  sure  I  did  not/'  protested  Levi. 

"Don't  tell  me!"  groaned  the  old  man,  suffering 
as  much  from  passion  as  from  pain. 

"  I  can  only  say,  uncle,  that  I  have  not  touched 
the  plank;  and  I  did  not  go  near  it  this  morning." 

"'Tain't  no  use;  I  know  you  did!  You  went 
down  to  your  boat  afore  I  did,  for  I  see  you  standin1 
over  to  Watson's  new  house  jest  afore  I  fell.  You 
want  to  kill  me  —  that's  what  you're  tryin'  to  do ; 
and  you  e'enamost  done  it  this  mornin'." 

"  I'm  sorry  you  have  such  an  opinion  of  me,  uncle," 
replied  Levi,  more  in  sorrow  and  pity  than  in  anger. 

"  You've  got  most  of  my  money  afore  I'm  dead, 
and  you  mean  to  have  the  rest  on't  arter  I'm  gone," 
continued  the  old  man,  in  angry,  whining  tones. 

"Do  you  still  think  I  took  the  gold,  uncle  Na- 
than?" 

"  Do  I  think  so !     I  know  you  did  !     Nobody  else 
took  it,  and  nobody  could  done  it  but  you!     What 
liave  you  done  with  it?" 
6 


82  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  I  know  nothing  about  it,  uncle.  I  am  sorry  you 
think  so  hard  of  me.  I'm  ready  and  willing  to  do 
anything  I  can  for  you." 

"Then  gim  me  back  my  money  I" 

"  I  haven't  it." 

"Yes,  you  have!" 

It  was  useless  to  talk  with  the  sufferer,  and  Levi's 
presence  only  excited  him.  After  repeating,  in  the 
gentlest  of  tones,  his  desire  to  serve  him,  the  young 
skipper  turned  to  depart. 

"You'll  be  found  out,  Levi  Fairfield,  and  you'll 
have  to  give  that  money  up.  'Tain't  no  use  to  try 
to  git  red  on  me,  for  I'm  go'n'  to  make  a  will,  and 
leave  what  little  I've  got  to  your  aunt,"  said  Mr. 
Fairfield. 

"Uncle  Nathan,  do  you  really  think  I  want  your 
money?"  asked  Levi,  beginning  to  be  indignant  at 
the  foul  suspicions  of  the  old  man. 

"  That's  what  you  want  to  kill  me  for,"  whined 
the  miser. 

"I  don't  want  to  kill  you,  or  hurt  you." 

"Fm  go'n'  to  make  a  will ;  so  'tain't  no  use  to  try 
to  git  red  of  me  any  more." 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  83 

Levi  pitied  the  sufferer,  as  much  for  his  moral  as 
his  mental  obtuseness,  and  fearful  that  his  indignation 
might  get  the  better  of  his  pity,  he  left  the  room. 
His  uncle  threatened  him  with  all  the  terrors  of  the 
courts  and  the  prisons  as  he  withdrew.  In  the  kitch- 
en he  found  Dock  Vincent,  who  had  come  to  make 
his  promised  afternoon  visit.  Levi  left  immediately, 
and  called  at  the  house  of  the  carpenter.  Mat  Mog- 
more,  after  some  haggling,  consented  to  become  one 
of  the  crew  of  the  yacht.  He  was  a  young  man  of 
eighteen,  who  had  made  two  or  three  fishing  voy- 
ages, and  was  a  smart,  active  fellow.  He  had  been 
rather  intimate  with  Dock  since  the  return  of  the 
latter;  and  this  was  all  Levi  had  against  him.  Be- 
fore night,  the  young  captain  of  The  Starry  Flag  had 
engaged  three  other  hands.  The  crew  were  to  go 
on  board  the  next  morning,  when  Levi  intended  to 
start  on  a  trial  trip,  for  the  purpose  of  training  his 
men,  and  becoming  more  familiar  himself  with  the 
working  of  the  yacht. 

Dock  Vincent  entered  the  chamber  of  Mr.  Fair- 
field. He  found  the  old  man  agitated,  and  almost 
crying  with  anger  and  vexation. 


84  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

"  So  Levi 's  been  to  see  you,"  said  the  visitor,  seat- 
ing himself  at  the  bedside. 

"Yes,  he  has!  Sunthin  must  be  done,  Cap'n  Vin- 
cent," replied  the  old  man,  trying  to  rise  on  the  bed, 
but  sinking  back  with  a  groan. 

"Don't  try  to  git  up;  keep  still,  Squire  Fairfield, 
and  don't  hurt  yourself,"  interposed  Dock. 

"I  can't  stand  this  no  longer!"  howled  the  miser- 
able man,  the  tears  starting  in  his  eyes.  "  Sunthin 
must  be  done." 

"What  shall  it  be,  squire?"  asked  the  comforter, 
coolly. 

"I  can't  stand  it  no  longer,  and  I  won't,  nuther," 
repeated  the  sufferer.  "  Somebody 's  got  my  money, 
and  I  must  git  it  back,  or  it'll  kill  me.  That  boy 
must  be  took  up,  and  sarched  till  the  money's  found. 
I  know  he's  got  it.  Nobody  else  couldn't  have  took 
it.  He  must  have  kerried  it  off  in  that  little  saw- 
mill. That's  what  he  come  arter  the  saw-mill  for  — 
to  kerry  off  the  money  in." 

"Do  you  want  to  have  Levi  arrested?"  asked 
Dock,  musing. 

"Yes;    he  must  be  took  up.    As  soon  as  he  sees 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WOULD.  85 

Fm  in  airnest,  he'll  git  scared,  and  give  up  the 
money." 

"  Musn't  be  too  hasty,  squire.  If  you  be,  it'll  dam- 
age you." 

"  No  'twon't ;  nothin'  can  damage  me  now.  I'll 
resk  it.     Git  a  constable ;   but  don't  git  Gayles." 

Dock  counselled  moderation,  and  thought  it  would 
be  better  to  wait  till  they  had  more  proof,  before 
taking  any  decisive  steps.  Pie  finally  quieted  the  old 
man  by  promising  to  "hunt  up  the  evidence,"  and 
have  Levi  arrested  as  soon  as  there  was  any  proof 
to  work  with. 


86  FKEAKS    OF   FOKTUNE,   OE 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CONSTABLE    COOKE. 


LEVI  went  on  his  experimental  trip  in  The 
Starry  Flag  the  next  day.  The  wind  was  very 
fresh,  and  he  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  test 
the  weatherly  qualities  of  the  yacht,  and  she  proved 
to  be  all  he  had  anticipated  or  desired.  She  would 
sail  almost  into  the  wind's  eye,  and  went  through 
a  chop  sea  as  steadily  as  a  judge  through  a  trial. 
Captain  Fairfield,  as  all  hands  on  board  called  him, 
was  proud  and  happy  in  his  new  situation.  He  was 
in  his  element ;  and  it  was  not  likely  that  the  pos- 
session of  any  sum  of  money  could  long  keep  him 
from  the  position  he  was  bom  to  fill  —  the  command 
of  a  vessel. 

The  yacht  was  fitted  up  below  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  wants  of  her  owner's  family  and  friends. 
Her  trunk  extended  nearly  the  whole  length  of  her, 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  87 

affording  a  high  and  s]:>acious  cabin  for  a  vessel  of 
her  size.  On  each  side  of  the  companion-way,  lead- 
ing down  from  the  cockpit,  or  standing-room,  was  a 
small  state-room,  one  of  which  was  appropriated  to 
the  nse  of  the  captain.  It  contained  a  single  berth, 
a  writing-desk,  a  plentiful  supply  of  lockers,  drawers, 
shelves,  and  brackets  for  clothing,  charts,  and  nautical 
instruments.  Levi  had  installed  himself  in  this  little 
apartment,  and  felt  like  a  lord,  as  he  sat  in  its  cush- 
ioned arm-chair  at  the  desk,  glancing  at  his  tasty 
and  convenient  surroundings. 

This  state-room,  and  its  fellow  on  the  oj)posite  side 
of  the  ladder,  opened  into  the  main  cabin,  which 
contained  four  berths,  with  curtains  extending  out  in 
front,  so  as  to  form  an  enclosure  for  each  occupant, 
securing  entire  privacy.  Opening  from  the  forward 
part  of  the  cabin  were  two  large  and  airy  rooms,  each 
having  two  berths,  for  the  accommodation  of  Mr. 
Watson's  family.  They  contained  every  convenience 
belonging  to  a  first-class  hotel,  with  a  curious  econo- 
my of  space,  which  would  have  excited  the  admira- 
tion of  those  who  have  a  taste  for  overcoming  im- 
possibilities. 


88  FREAKS   OF   FOETTTNE,   OE 

Between  these  state-rooms  was  a  narrow  passage- 
way leading  to  the  forecastle,  which  occupied  about 
half  the  length  of  the  vessel,  and  contained  the  pan- 
try, ice-house,  cook-room,  store-room,  and  six  berths 
in  the  forward  part  for  the  hands. 

The  cook  and  steward  were  colored  men.  The 
former  had  served  for  years  in  a  packet  ship,  and  the 
latter  was  a  steamboat  waiter,  who  never  failed  to 
put  on  a  white  jacket  at  meal  times.  The  four  hands 
who  had  been  employed  on  the  Cape  were  young 
men,  the  oldest  not  over  twenty,  all  of  whom  had 
made  several  fishing  voyages,  and  were  hardy,  active, 
and  accomplished  seamen  for  a  small  craft. 

On  her  trial  trip  Levi  took  the  yacht  as  far  as 
Boone  Island,  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  He  dined  in 
state,  all  alone  in  the  cabin,  —  he  had  no  passengers 
on  this  cruise,  —  and  Augustus,  the  cabin  steward, 
wore  his  white  jacket,  and  stood  behind  his  chair. 
In  fact,  Levi  was  Captain  Fairfield  on  this  occasion ; 
and  he  wore  his  dignity  with  becoming  modesty  and 
grace. 

In  the  evening,  after  his  return,  he  made  a  full 
and  enthusiastic  report  to  Mr.  Watson  and  the  ladies 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  89 

of  the  good  behavior  of  the  yacht,  and  declared  that 
he  was  ready  at  once  to  go  round  the  world  in  her. 

"We  don't  care  about  going  round  the  world  in 
her,  Levi,"  laughed  Mr.  "Watson ;  "  but  on  Monday 
morning  we  will  start  for  Mount  Desert,  if  you  are 
ready  at  that  time." 

"  I  am  ready  now,  sir." 

"I  cannot  leave  before  Monday.  If  we  enjoy  this 
trip,  we  will  spend  the  whole  of  the  month  of  Au- 
gust on  board  of  The  Starry  Flag.  I  should  like  to 
go  as  far  as  the  Bermudas,  if  you  think  it  is  safe  to 
take  so  long  a  voyage  in  her." 

"  Safe !  "  exclaimed  Levi.  "  You  can  cross  the  At- 
lantic in  her  as  safely  as  in  a  steamship.  For  my 
part,  I  should  feel  safer  in  her  than  in  any  steamer 
that  ever  went  to  sea.  She  would  shake  you  up 
more,  perhaps,  but  she  will  take  you  through  all  right 
if  she  is  well  handled." 

"No  doubt  of  it.  I  told  the  builder  to  have  her 
as  strong  as  wood  and  iron  could  make  her.  My 
directions  were,  first,  strength,  second,  comfort,  and 
third,  speed." 

"I  think  he  has  got  the    speed  in    first,  for  we 


90  FEEAKS    OP   FORTUNE,   OE 

logged  twelve  knots  to-day,  with  the  wind  free  in 
a  choj>ping  sea.  But  she  can't  be  excelled  for  com- 
fort and  safety.  I  know  by  the  feeling  of  her  in  a 
sea  just  how  she  would  behave  in  a  gale." 

"Have  you  seen  Mr.  Gayles  since  your  return, 
Levi?"  asked  Mr.  Watson,  suddenly  changing  the 
subject,  and  wearing  a  look  of  anxiety. 

"No,  sir;  he  was  not  at  home  when  I  went  to 
supper,"  replied  Levi,  satisfied  something  unpleasant 
had  occurred ;  and  he  had  not  much  difficulty  in 
surmising  its  nature. 

"Have  you  heard  anything  about  a  search-war- 
rant ?  " 

"Not  a  word,  sir;  but  I  almost  expected  some- 
thing of  the  kind.  My  uncle  charged  me  with  tak- 
ing the  money  he  lost;  but  I  did  not  even  know 
that  he  had  any  money  in  his  house,"  answered  Levi, 
grieved  and  mortified  at  the  necessity  of  again  de- 
fending himself  from  such  an  assault. 

"Mr,  Gayles  told  me  that  your  room  at  his  house, 
and  indeed  all  his  premises,  had  been  searched  by 
Constable  Cooke,  in  your  absence,  to-day,  for  the 
missing  gold." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  91 

"  Of  course  they  did  not  find  anything,"  replied 
Levi,  blushing. 

«Nb,  they  did  not;  but  perhaps  they  would  if 
your  affairs  had  been  managed  by  a  less  discreet  per- 
son than  Mr.  Gayles.  It  seems  that  Dock  Vincent 
went  to  the  house,  with  the  constable,  about  dinner 
time.  Your  uncle  appears  to  have  employed  Vin- 
cent to  look  up  the  money  for  him.  Mr.  Gayles  was 
willing  to  admit  the  officer,  but  he  positively  refused 
to  allow  Vincent  to  enter  his  house.  Levi,  that  vil- 
lain is  the  worst  enemy  a  man  ever  had.  You  must 
beware  of  him;  have  nothing  to  do  with  him,  and 
nothing  to  say  to  him." 

"I  do  not,  any  more  than  I  can  help." 

"  The  story  now  is,  that  you  took  your  uncle's 
money,  and  set  a  trap  to  kill  or  severely  injure  him 
at  the  cut,  because  you  are  his  legal  heir." 
'  "  How  absurd ! "  interposed  Bessie,  indignantly,  as 
she  rose  from  her  chair,  and  seated  herself  by  the 
side  of  Levi  on  the  sofa,  her  mild  eyes  beaming  with 
unwonted  fire. 

«  Very  absurd,  my  dear ;  but  there  aru  people  who 
are  foolish  enough  to  believe  such  absurd  stories  even 


92  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

of  their  own  minister.  Of  course,  Levi,  there  is  no 
real  danger,  but  you  may  be  seriously  annoyed." 

Levi  was  smart.  He  had  done  great  deeds.'  He 
was  known  to  be  worth  thirty-five  or  forty  thousand 
dollars,  in  the  hands  of  his  guardian ;  and  his  inti- 
mate relations  with  the  family  of  Mr.  Watson  ren- 
dered it  exceedingly  probable  that  he  would  eventu- 
ally roll  in  wealth,  to  be  counted  by  hundreds  of 
thousands.  Most  of  the  people  were  generous  enough 
to  congratulate  the  young  man,  in  their  hearts,  on 
his  brilliant  prospects,  especially  as  he  did  not  put 
on  any  airs,  or  cut  any  of  his  old  friends. 

But  there  were  weak  and  evil-minded  men  and 
women  who  envied  his  good  fortune,  and  were  ready 
to  seize  upon  any  rumor  which  tended  to  bring  dis- 
credit upon  him.  Among  these  was  Constable  Cooke, 
whom  Dock  Yincent  had  employed  to  search  for  Mr. 
Fairfield's  money.  He  could  not  help  thinking  that, 
if  he  had  been  intrusted  with  the  warrant  for  the 
arrest  of  Levi,  on  the  charge,  three  years  before,  of 
purloining  Kuel  Belcher's  money,  instead  of  Mr. 
Gayles,  he  would  have  done  precisely  as  that  worthy 
man  had,  and  in  the  end  would  have  been  appoint- 


HALF    BOUND    THE    WOKLD.  93 

ed  the  young  man's  guardian,  making  a  few  hundred 
dollars  every  year  in  commissions  on  the  care  of  the 
property.  He  could  not  exactly  forgive  Mr.  Gayles 
for  being  so  fortunate ;  nor  was  he  so  exclusive  as 
to  confine  his  dislike  to  the  guardian,  but  extended 
it  to  the  ward. 

Constable  Cooke,  therefore,  was  a  fit  person  to  do 
the  dirty  work  of  Nathan  Fairfield  and  his  coadju- 
tor. He  adopted  the  miser's  theory  in  full,  that  Levi 
had  set  the  house  on  fire  with  the  candle,  in  order  to 
cover  up  the  loss  of  the  money,  which  he  had  con- 
veyed from  the  house  in  the  little,  saw-mill.  Since  the 
arrival  of  the  yacht,  it  had  even  been  conjectured 
that  she  was  the  property  of  Levi,  who  had  paid  for 
her  with  the  ill-gotten  gold.  This  theory,  explained 
and  bolstered  up  with  specious  argument  and  sophis- 
tical evidence  by  the  constable,  rather  staggered  many 
people  who  believed  in  Levi.  If  the  young  man's 
character  had  been  doubtful,  the  theory  would  have 
been  plausible  ;  for,  after  all,  a  person's  good  character 
is  the  best  testimony  in  his  favor. 

Mr.  Watson  and  Levi  discussed  the  situation  coolly, 
though  the  ladies,  with  their  warmer  sympathies,  were 


94  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

indignant,  and  disposed  to  be  violent  in  their  meas- 
ures. Nothing  could  be  done  but  to  wait  the  issue  of 
events;  and  Levi  walked  as  proudly  as  ever  through 
the  streets  of  the  town.  The  next  day  he  took  the 
ladies  out  to  sail  in  the  yacht;  but  before  he- went 
he  called  at  his  uncle's  house,  carrying  a  nice  tender- 
loin steak  and  a  jar  of  jelly  for  the  sufferer,  who  was 
improving,  in  spite  of  the  heat  and  excitement  to 
which  he  agitated  himself. 

"Don't  tell  him,  aunt  Susan,  that  I  brought  these 
things,"  said  Levi.  "  I  pity  him,  and  I  don't  hate 
him.  I  shall  try  to  be  a  Christian  towards  him  now, 
whatever  he  does." 

The  old  lady  burst  into  tears.  Such  a  spirit  amazed 
and  overwhelmed  her.  The  reading  of  her  religious 
paper  had  prepared  her,  in  some  measure,  to  appre- 
ciate such  conduct.  The  next  day,  which  was  Sun- 
day, Levi  carried  some  other  luxuries  for  the  invalid ; 
but  he  did  not  venture  to  see  his  uncle  after  the  vio- 
lent scene  which  had  attended  his  first  visit  to  the 
sick  room. 

On  Monday  morning  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson,  Mrs. 
McGilvery,  and   Bessie  were  conveyed  on   board   of 


HALF    EOUND    THE    WORLD.  95 

The  Starry  Flag.  The  foresail  and  the  mainsail  had 
been  hoisted,  and  the  hands  were  heaving  up  the 
anchor,  when  a  boat  from  the  shore  was  discovered 
approaching  the  yacht. 

"  Hold  on ! "  shouted  Constable  Cooke ;  when  the 
boat  came  nearer,  and  was  found  to  contain,  besides 
the  officer,  Dock  Vincent  and  two  other  men. 

"  Belay,  all ! "  said  Captain  Fairfield  ;  and  the  oper- 
ations at  the  cable  were  susj)ended. 

"I've  come  to  search  this  vessel,"  said  Constable 
Cooke,  when  he  and  his  party  had  reached  the  deck. 
"I  have  a  warrant." 

"I  will  afford  you  every  facility  for  the  discharge 
of  your  duty,"  replied  Levi,  as  he  led  the  way  to  the 
cabin. 

"Don't  let  Vincent  go  into  the  cabin,"  said  Mr. 
"Watson,  in  a  whisper. 

Levi  promptly  informed  the  officer  that  Captain 
Vincent  must  not  go  below. 

"I  want  him  to  help  me,"  persisted  Constable 
Cooke. 

"  Captain  Vincent  can't  go  into  my  cabin.  If  he 
attempts  to  do  so,  I'll  throw  him  overboard ! "  added 
Levi,  rolling  up  his  coat  sleeves. 


96  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"I've  a  right  to  call  in  aid  accordin'  to  /aw,"  said 
the  officer,  angrily. 

"You  shall  not  call  him  in,"  protested  Levi. 

Mr.  Watson  spoke,  —  he  had  money,  and  the  con- 
stable was  afraid  of  him,  —  and  the  matter  was  com- 
promised. One  of  the  other  men  went  with  the 
officer,  who  proceeded  directly  to  Levi's  state-room. 
The  desk  was  opened,  the  lockers  examined,  and  the 
drawers  searched.  In  one  of  the  latter,  a  shot-bag, 
with  ten  half  eagles  in  it,  was  found. 

"  That's  one  of  the  bags ! "  almost  yelled  the  con- 
stable, in  the  fury  of  his  malignity. 

"X  never  saw  it  before,"  said  Levi,  quietly,  "nor 
the  gold  it  contains." 

"  I  have  a  warrant  for  your  arrest,  Levi  Fairfield ; 
and  sence  you  showed  fight  on  deck,  I  shall  put  the 
handcuffs  on  you." 

Mr.  Watson  and  the  ladies  were  shocked  and 
alarmed ;  but  not  one  of  them  for  a  moment  doubted 
the  innocence  of  Levi,  who  suffered  himself  to  be 
ironed  without  resistance. 


HALF   HOUND    THE   WOULD.  97 


CHAPTER    IX. 


THE   EXAMINATION". 


CONSTABLE  COOKE  put  the  irons  on  the 
wrists  of  Levi  Fairfield,  not  from  a  sense  of 
duty,  but  with  a  keen  relish  for  the  act  itself.  It  is 
but  justice  to  the  officer,  prejudiced  though  he  was, 
to  say  that  he  was  entirely  sincere  in  the  belief  that 
his  prisoner  had  stolen  the  miser's  gold.  He  was 
needlessly  rough  and  severe  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duty,  and  the  irons  were  a  gratuitous  indignity.  Mr. 
Watson  protested  vigorously  against  the  constable's 
useless  display  of  authority.  Bessie  was  frightened 
and  terribly  grieved  by  the  harsh  treatment  bestowed 
upon  her  ideal  of  a  hero. 

Levi  himself  was  the  only  person  in  the  cabin  who 
was   calm.      His  quiet  dignity  was   unruffled   by  the 
insults  heaped  upon  him,  and  he  looked  proudly  con- 
scious of  his  innocence. 
7 


98  FEEAKS    OF  FOETUNE,   OR 

"What  does  all  this  mean?"  demanded  Mr.  Wat- 
son, when  Levi  had  been  effectually  ironed,  so  that 
he  could  not  tear  the  constable  and  his  assistant  to 
pieces,  as  they  seemed  to  fear  he  would. 

"I  do  not  know,  sir,"  replied  Levi,  shaking  his 
head,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  think  it  is  all  clear  enough,  Mr.  Watson,"  inter- 
posed Constable  Cooke. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is,"  replied  Mr.  Watson,  sharply. 
"  You  have  found  a  shot-bag  with  ten  five-dollar  gold 
pieces  in  it.    What  does  that  prove?" 

"  It  proves  that  Levi  stole  the  money  just  as  clear 
as  the  sun  proves  it's  day." 

"  Is  it  anything  surprising  that  the  captain  of  a 
yacht  has  fifty  dollars  in  gold  in  his  state-room?" 

"I  don't  know's  'tis,  but  it's  sunthin  surprisin' 
that  he  should  have  one  of  the  bags  the  old  man 
kept  his  money  in,  in  his  state-room,"  said  the  officer, 
with  a  sneer. 

"How  do  you  know  that  is  one  of  the  bags?" 

"  How  do  I  know  ?  "  repeated  the  constable,  taking 
the  bag  from  his  pocket.  "Mr.  Fairfield  told  me  he 
writ  his  name  on  all  the  bags.    There  it  is." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  9(J 

The  bag  was  exhibited,  and  over  the  imprint  of 
the  manufacturers  of  the  shot  it  had  originally  con- 
tained was  the  name,  "1ST.  Fairfield,"  rudely  traced 
in  large,  awkward  characters,  in  pencil,  on  the  cloth. 
Levi  saw  it,  and  the  formation  of  the  two  capital 
letters  assured  him  it  had  been  written  by  his  uncle. 
The  bag  was  found  in  one  of  his  drawers ;  but  it  was 
plain  that  "  an  enemy  had  done  this." 

"  If  that  don't  satisfy  you,  Mr.  Watson,  I  don't 
know  what  will.  This  ain't  pleasant  business,  but  I 
can't  help  it,"  added  Constable  Cooke,  who  perhaps 
had  begun  to  think  it  was  imprudent  to  offend  a  rich 
man. 

"That  doesn't  satisfy  me,"  replied  the  obstinate 
merchant.  "Do  you  suppose  Levi  put  that  bag  and 
the  gold  into  the  drawer?" 

"I  suppose  he  did,  sir.  That's  his  state-room  — 
isn't  it?" 

"There  are  half  a  dozen  places  there  with  locks 
on  them.  Do  you  think  he  would  put  his  money  into 
a  drawer  without  any  lock  upon  it?" 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  that,"  answered  the 
constable,  who  could  not  help  seeing  that  the  argu- 


100  FEEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OE 

ment  was  a  good  one.  "I've  got  a  warrant  for  his 
arrest." 

"Did  you  know  the  money  was  there  before  you 
came  on  board?"  demanded  Mr.  Watson,  warmly. 

"I  supposed  it  was  there." 

"What  made  you  suppose  so?" 

"I  was  told  it  was  there." 

"  Who  told  you  so  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  as  I'm  obliged  to  tell  you  who  told 
me,"  replied  the  officer. 

"I  don't  know  that  you  are,  either;  but  some  of 
you  shall  be  indicted  for  conspiracy  if  you  don't  an- 
swer. You  came  on  board  with  a  warrant  in  your 
pocket  for  the  arrest  of  Cajotain  Fairfield.  You  ex- 
pected to  find  the  gold  here,  you  say.  Somebody 
told  you  it  was  here,  and  that  somebody  .knows  more 
about  it  than  the  person  you  have  arrested  and  put 
in  irons,"  continued  the  merchant,  indignantly. 

"You  know  why  I  put  him  in  irons.  Didn't  he 
threaten  to  throw  one  of  us  overboard  ?  "  replied  the 
constable. 

"  When  officers  take  graduates  of  the  state  prison 
to  assist  them  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties,  they 
must  expect  some  opposition." 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  101 


"  But  Captain  Vincent  is  acting  for  Mr.  Fairfield, 
who's  too  sick  to  do  anything  himself,"  pleaded  the 
officer,  who  could  not  help  seeing  that  Dock  was  not 
a  proper  person  to  aid  him  in  the  performance  of  his 
duty.     "  I'll  take  the  bracelets  off,  if  you  say  so." 

"  I  do  say  so,  most  emphatically ! "  added  Mr. 
Watson. 

Constable  Cooke  removed  the  irons,  stepping  be- 
tween Levi  and.  Bessie  to  do  so. 

"  So  long  as  you  and  your  father  do  not  believe 
I  am  guilty  of  any  crime,  I  don't  care  for  the  irons 
or  the  prison,"  said  Levi,  cheerfully.  "I  am  rather 
glad  of  an  opportunity  to  vindicate  myself,  for  I  have 
no  doubt  there  are  some  people  who  think  I  took  my 
uncle's  money." 

"But  it  fe  so  terrible  to  be  sent  to  prison,  and  to 
be  ironed ! "  added  Bessie,  her  pretty  face  full  of  ten- 
der sympathy. 

"Not  at  all.  As  I  view  it,  the  guilt  is  the  only 
thing  that  is  terrible.  This  may  lead  to  the  discov- 
ery of  the  real  thief." 

"Levi,  have  you  any  idea  how  that  bag  came  in 
your  state-room?"  asked  Mr.  Watson. 


102  FEEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OK 

"  Not  the  least,  sir.  It  must  have  been  put  there 
by  the  thief,  or  by  some  one  acting  for  him." 

"We  shall  not  make  our  trip  to-day  —  that  is 
clear  enough.  Come,  Mr.  Cooke,  we  will  go  on  shore, 
and  inquire  into  this  matter  at  once,"  continued  Mr. 
Watson.  "Levi,  you  must  send  all  hands  to  the 
office  of  Squire  Saunders,  for  probably  we  shall  want 
their  evidence." 

The  four  young  men  who  constituted  the  crew  of 
the  yacht  lived  in  Rockport,  and  knew  all  about  the 
relations  of  Levi  with  his  uncle.  They  were  directed 
to  go  ashore,  with  the  cook  and  steward,  and  appear 
at  the  office  of  the  trial  justice.  Levi  was  taken  in 
charge  by  Constable  Cooke,  and  went  in  his  boat, 
with  Dock  Vincent,  much  against  his  will. 

"We  are  likely  to  have  a  sharp  time  on't,"  said 
the  officer,  when  they  had  pushed  off  from  the  yacht. 

"  Why  so  ?    What's  up  now  ? "  demanded  Dock. 

"  Mr.  Watson  has  sent  all  hands  ashore,  and  I  sup- 
pose he'll  have  Squire  Cleaves,  who's  as  sharp  as  a 
razor  new  set,  and  he'll  rake  us  all  over  the  coals." 

"What's  going  to  be  done,  Levi?"  asked  Dock, 
turning  to  the  prisoner. 


IIALF    BOUND    THE    WORLD.  103 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say  about  it,"  replied  Levi. 

"  What  did  you  send  all  hands  on  shore  for  ? " 

"I  shall   answer  no  questions." 

"  Afraid  of  committing  yourself,  I  suppose,"  said 
Dock,  with  a  sneer,  which  did  not  wholly  conceal 
his  anxiety.  # 

Levi  made  no  reply.  Without  being  willing,  in  the 
absence  of  some  evidence,  even  to  suspect  Dock  of 
stealing  his  uncle's  money,  he  could  not  help  feeling 
that  the  antecedents  of  his  old  enemy  warranted  him 
in  thinking  that  he  had  something  to  do  with  the 
robbery,  or,  at  least,  with  fastening  the  charge  upon 
him,  and  causing  the  shot-bag  to  be  placed  in  his 
state-room.  The  party  landed,  and  while  Constable 
Cooke  conveyed  his  prisoner  to  the  office  of  the  jus- 
tice, Dock  called  at  Mr.  Fairfield's  to  inform  him  of 
the  arrest. 

The  old  man  was  somewhat  better,  and  able  to  sit 
up  in  his  rocking-chair;  but  his  bones  still  ached, 
though  he  suffered  less  in  body  than  in  mind.  Dock 
called  upon  him  every  day,  and  assured  him  he  would 
find  his  gold  in  time.  On  the  present  occasion  he 
had   encouraging   news,    and    related   the    particulars 


104  FEEAKS    OF  FORTUNE,    OR 

of  the  events  which  had  occurred  on  board  of  the 
yacht. 

"  I  knowed  it ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Fairfield,  when  he 
had  listened  to  -Dock's  story.  "  I  was  sartain  that 
hoy  took  the  money  " 

"I  suppose  it's  a  clear  eas£  enough  now,"  added 
Dock.  "Finding  the  bag  with  your  name  on  it  set- 
tles the  matter  " 

"  But  did  you  find  all  the  money,  Cap'n  Yincent  ?  "" 
asked  the  old  man,  nervously. 

"  ~No ;  only  about  fifty  dollars  of  it." 

"  Didn't  find  no  more  ?  "  added  Mr.  Fairfield,  with 
a  blank  stare. 

"  No,  but  we  shall  find  the  rest  of  it.  Mr.  Wat- 
son 's  going  to  make  an  awful  fuss  about  it" 

"About  what?" 

"About  taking  Levi  up.  I  suppose  they'll  want 
you  to  swear  to  the  bag " 

"But  I  can't  go  out,"  said  the  old  man  with  a 
grunt,  when  reminded  of  the  pains  in  his  frame. 

"  Then  the  squire  must  come  here,  as  he  did  when 
you  swore  before.  I'll  go  up,  and  see  about  it.  But, 
Squire  Fairfield,  I   shan't  be  able  to  do  much  more 


DJALF    ROUND    THE    WOULD.  105 

for  you,  for  I  expect  my  vessel  round  here  soon,  and 
I  shall  be  busy  fixing  her  up  for  the  voyage  to  Aus- 
tralia." 

"I  hope  I  shall  find  the  money  afore  you  go," 
added  the  old  man,  with  a  gloomy  look. 

"I  hope  so  too,  and  I  expect  you  will,"  replied 
Dock,  as  he  left  the  room  to  attend  the  examina- 
tion. 

In  -the  mean  time  Levi  had  been  conveyed  to  the 
office  of  Squire  Saunders,-  who,  deeming  the  evidence 
of  Mr.  Fairfield  absolutely  necessary,  had 'decided  to 
hold  his  court  at  the  house  of  the  miser;  and  the 
old  man  was  soon  astonished  by  the  appearance  of 
the  whole  crowd  of  officers,  counsel,  justice,  and  wit- 
nesses in  his  chamber. 

Mr.  Fairfield  was  examined  first.  He  testified, 
with  many  a  sigh  and  groan,  that  he  had  deposited 
the  four  bags,  each  containing  one  thousand  dollars 
in  gold,  in  the  hole  in  the  wall,  which  was  pointed 
out  to  the  justice.  He  had  marked  his  name  on 
each  bag,  and  he  identified  that  produced  by  Consta- 
ble Cooke  as  one  of  the  four.  He  was  asked  if  the 
ten  half  eagles  were  his  property.     He  was  disposed 


106  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

to  swear  to  them  also ;  he  had  no  doubt  they  were 
part  of  the  money  he  had  lost ;  but  when  asked  to 
state  by  what  marks  he  recognized  them,  he  was 
unable  to  show  wherein  they  differed  from  other  coins 
of  the  same  value. 

The  officer  then  swore  that  he  found  the  bag  in 
a  locker  in  the  state-room,  with  the  money  in  it. 
Squire  Cleaves,  who  had  already  been  fully  instructed 
in  the  case  by  Mr.  Watson,  began  to  put  disagreeable 
questions  to  him,  which  appeared  to  make  him  nervous. 

"  You  went  off  to  the  yacht  with  a  search-warrant 
—  did  you,  Mr.  Cooke  ?  "  asked    the  lawyer. 

"I  did,  sir." 

"  Did  you  expect  to  find  the  money  or  the  bag  on 
board?" 

"I  did." 

"  Had  any  one  told  you  the  bag  was  there  ? " 

"Well,  I  can't  say  any  one  told  me  it  was  there," 
replied  Cooke,  with  some  embarrassment. 

"  You  can't  ?  " 

"No,  sir;   I  can't." 

"What  induced  you  to  look  for  the  money  on 
board  of  the  yacht?" 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOULD.  107 

"I  was  pretty  well  satisfied  that  Levi  stole  that 
money,  and  being  he  was  goin'  off  on  a  cruise,  I 
thought  likely  he  would  put  some  on't  on  board  to 
use.  That's  what  made  me  expect  to  find  it  there," 
added  Constable  Cooke,  with  a  more  satisfied  expres- 
sion on  his  face,  for  the  explanation  he  had  given 
appeared  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  case. 

"  Did  you  reason  this  out  yourself,  or  did  some  one 
suggest  the  idea  to  you?" 

"Well,  some  one  spoke  to  me  about  it,  but  — " 
"  Precisely  so  !     Who  spoke  to  you  about  it  ?  " 
"No  one  said  much  to  me,  and  I  — " 
"But  who  said  anything?"  interposed  the  squire. 
"  Well,  Captain  Vincent  said  I  might  find  the  bag 
—  he  didn't  say  I  should  find  it." 


108  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUNE,   OE 


CHAPTER  X. 


ME.    C.    AUGUSTUS    EBENIEE. 


SQUIRE  CLEAVES  had  brought  out  from  the 
unwilling  witness  the  fact  that  he  wanted,  and 
Dock  Vincent  was  put  upon  the  stand.  The  learned 
counsel  adroitly  conveyed  the  information  that  the 
witness  had  been  convicted  of  crime,  and  had  served 
a  term  in  the  state  prison  —  which,  though  it  did  not 
exclude  him  from  giving  evidence,  might  affect  his 
credibility.  This  statement  roused  the  ire  of  Dock, 
and  he  was  cross  and  sullen,  which  is  a  very  bad 
state  of  mind  to  be  in  when  subjected  to  the  torture 
of  a  skilful  lawyer. 

Dock  described  the  manner  in  which  he  had  as- 
sisted Mr.  Fairfield  in  finding  his  money.  He  had 
done  all  that  an  honest  man  and  a  good  neighbor 
should  do  to  help  a  feeble  old  man ;  and  it  wasn't 
right  for  "one-horse  lawyers"  to  insult  him. 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WOULD.  109 

"  Do  you  consider  yourself  insulted,  Caj^tain  Vin- 
cent ? "  asked  the  squire. 

"Yes,  sir;   I  do!" 

"  Have  you  been  convicted  of  a  crime  ? " 

"What  if  I  have?  There  was  no  justice  in  it," 
growled  Dock. 

"  Have  you  served  a  term  in  the  state  prison  ? " 

* 

"If  I  have,  it  wasn't  a  fair  thing;  and  a  good 
many  better  men  than  you  or  me  have  spent  years 
in  prison." 

"Undoubtedly,  but  our  best  men  don't,  usually 
graduate  at  the  state  prison.  You  admit  the  facts  as 
I  stated  them.  Now,  Captain  Vincent,  you  were  em- 
ployed by  Mr.  Fairfield  in  finding  the  money  he  lost." 

"  I  said   so ;    I  was." 

"Did  you  tell  the  constable  he  would  find  the 
bag  on  board  of  the  yacht  ? " 

"No,  sir;  I  did  not." 

"What  did  you  tell  him?" 

"  In  my  opinion,  Levi  stole  that  money.  I  didn't 
think  so  at  first,  but  his  uncle  convinced  me  he  must 
have  done  it.  I  told  the  constable  to  look  for  the 
money  and  the  bags  on  board  that  vessel." 


110  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"Didn't  you  tell  him  he  would  find  this  bag  in 
Levi's  state-room?"  * 

"No,  sir;  I  did  no^." 

"  Didn't  you  tell  him  he  might  expect  to  find  it 
there?" 

"  Perhaps  I  did ;  whether  I  did  or  not,  I  expected 
he  would  find  it  there,"  answered  Dock,  casting  a 
malicious  glance  at  Levi. 

"  Why  did  you  expect  he  would  find  it  there  ? " 

"Because  I  was  satisfied  Levi  stole  the  money, 
and  would  use  some  of  it  while  he  was  gone  on  the 
cruise." 

"Was  that  the  only  reason?" 

"It  was." 

"  Captain  Vincent,  do  you  know  how  that  bag 
came  in  Levi's  state-room?"  asked  the  lawyer,  look- 
ing upon  the  floor,  as  though  he  considered  the  ques- 
tion of  little  consequence. 

"Yes,  sir;  I  do." 

"Please  to  state  how  it  came  there." 

"Levi  put  it  there." 

"You  are  willing  to  swear  that  Levi  put  it  there 
—  are  you?" 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  Ill 

"Yes,  sir;  I  am,"  replied  Dock,  promptly. 

"  Did  you  see  him  put  it  there  ?<" 

"Of  course  I  didn't.  I  never  was  aboard  of  that 
yacht  till  this  morning." 

"How  can  you  swear  that  he  put  it  there,  then?" 

"Because  Constable  Cooke  found  it  there." 

"  Is  that  the  only  ground  on  which  you  swear  Levi 
put  it  there  himself?  " 

"  That's  ground  enough." 

"  Answer  my  question,  if  you  please." 

"Yes,  it  is;  and  my  belief  that  Levi  robbed  his 
uncle  of  his  money." 

"That  will  do;  we  shall  give  you  the  little  end 
of  the  horn  to  crawl  out  of  before  we  get  through," 
added  Squire  Cleaves. 

Dock,  sour  and  crabbed,  sat  down  near  the  rock- 
ing-chair of  Mr.  Fairfield  ;  and  Mr.  Caesar  Augustus 
Ebenier,  cabin  steward  of  The  Starry  Flag,  Sr.,  was 
politely  invited  to  take  the  stand.  He  appeared  in  his 
best  clothes,  and  his  name,  quality,  and  position  on 
board  of  the  yacht  were  duly  elicited  by  the  magistrate. 

"What  do  you  know  about  the  money  or  the 
bag?"  asked  Squire  Saunders. 


112  PEEAKS    OP   POETTTNE,    OE 

"  I  know  all  about  it,  your  honor,"  replied  the  wit- 
ness, with  a  radiant  smile. 

"Who  put  them  in  the  locker,  where  they  were 
found  ?  " 

"I  did,  your  honor." 

"  That  nigger 's  been  bribed  to  say  that,"  inter- 
posed Dock,  savagely. 

"Who  do  you  call  a  nigger?"  demanded  Mr.  Cae- 
sar Augustus  Ebenier,  stepping  briskly  up  to  Dock, 
with  his  fists  doubled  up  for  use.  "I  never  was 
convicted  of  crime  and  sent  to  the  state  prison." 

"  Order !  "  called  the  justice. 

Dock  was  the  more  disturbed  of  the  two ;  but  the 
constable  quieted  him,  while  Mr.  Watson  patched  up 
the  wounded  dignity  of  the  cabin  steward,  who  was 
doubtless  a  much  better  man  than  Dock.  He  had 
formerly  been  the  body  servant  of  a  French  gentle- 
man in  Louisiana,  and  he  could  read  and  write,  and 
spoke  French  fluently.  He  wrote  his  name  "  C.  Au- 
gustus Ebenier,"  and  he  insisted  that  his  surname 
should  be  pronounced  A-ba-ne-a.  He  was  a  person 
of  no  little  importance  in.  his  own  estimation,  and 
had    a  southern  negro's    contempt  for  mean  whites, 


HALF    BOUND    THE    WOULD.  113 

of  whom  Dock  Vincent  seemed  to  be  the  meanest 
specimen  he  had  yet  seen. 

"Now,  Mr.  Ebony,  we  will  proceed  with  this  ex- 
amination." 

"  A-ba-ne-a,  if  you  please,  your  honor,"  suggested 
the  witness,  with  the  politest  of  bows. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Ebenier,"  said  the  justice, 
with  a  smile.  "You  placed  the  bag  and  the  money 
in  the  locker  —  did  you  ?  " 

"  I  did,  your  honor ;  in  the  captain's  locker :  but  I 
didn't  comprehend  what  was  in  the  bag  at  the  par- 
ticular moment  when  it  was  in  my  possession." 

"Exactly  so." 

"I  was  not  precisely  informed  in  regard  to  the 
nature  of  the  contents  of  the  bag,  which  was  agglom- 
erated in  a  mass,  and  exceedingly  heavy  for  the  bulk 
of  the  parcel,  appearing  to  consist  only  of  a  portion 
of  tow  cloth." 

"Just  so,  Mr.  Ebenier;  we  are  fortunate  in  being 
able  to  understand  you." 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon,  but  the  initial  E  in 
my  surname  should  be  pronounced  like  long  a." 

"Excuse  me,  monsieur,"  laughed  the  justice;  "but 
8 


114  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

my  French  is  rather  rusty.  Will  you  do  me  the 
favor  to  indicate  in  what  manner  the  bag  and  its 
contents  came  into  your  possession." 

"With  pleasure,  your  honor.  Yesterday  afternoon, 
just  previous  to  Captain  Fairfield's  going  on  shore  — " 

"Who?"  asked  Squire  Saunders,  who  was  not  fa- 
miliar with  Levi's  new  title. 

"  Captain  Fairfield,  your  honor." 

"  You  mean  Levi  ?  " 

"  No,  your  honor  ;  far  be  it  from  me  to  commit 
the  gross  disrespect  of  calling  the  captain  of  the 
yacht  in  which  I  sail  by  his  Christian  name.  Cap- 
tain Levi  Fairfield,  your  honor" 

"  Go  on,  then.     I  know  whom  you  mean." 

"  Yesterday  afternoon,  just  as  Captain  Fairfield  was 
going  on  shore  —  I  disremember  the  precise  time, 
but  it  was  about  five  o'clock,  post  meridian." 

"  That  is  sufficiently  accurate,  Mr.  Ebenier.  Do  me 
the  favor  to  proceed." 

"I  beg  your  honor's  pardon,  but  these  interrup- 
tions have  a  tendency  to  prevent  me  from  follow- 
ing accurately  and  succinctly  the  thread  of  my  nar- 
rative." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  115 

The  magistrate  bowed,  and  laughed,  as  all  in  the 
room  were  doing  except  Dock  and  Mr.  Fairfield. 
The  witness  commenced  his  story  again,  repeating 
everything  he  had  said  before ;  and  the  squire  did 
not  deem  it  prudent  to  interrupt  him  again. 

"I  was  located  in  a  standing  position  near  the 
entrance  to  the  main  cabin ;  and  your  honor  is  aware 
that,  in  first-class  yachts,  the  descent  commences  in 
the  standing-room,  which  in  ISTew  York  yachts  is 
more  frequently  called  the  cockpit.  At  a  distance 
of  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  marine  league  from 
our  yacht  lay  a  fishing  schooner,  which  I  was  in- 
formed by  those  who  probably  j^ossessed  an  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  intended  movements  of  the  schoon- 
er, though  I  really  could  not  now  state  to  your  honor 
the  names  of  the  parties  from  whom  I  received  this 
intimation  —  " 

"Not  material,"  interposed  the  squire. 

"The  information  I  received  may  prove  to  be  ma- 
terial, your  honor.  I  was  credibly  informed  that  the 
vessel  intended  to  sail  for  the  Grand  Banks  or  the 
coast  of  Labrador,  I  cannot  now  swear  which,  or, 
indeed,  if  it  was  either  of  these  localities.     Possibly 


116  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUNE,    OR 

it  was  either,  possibly  it  was  neither,  or  j^ossibly  it 
was  both.  I  wish  it  particularly  understood  that, 
under  the  solemnity  of  an  oath,  I  do  not  state  pos- 
itively  where  the  vessel  was  going.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  she  was  going  on  a  fishing  voyage ;  but  whether 
for  cod,  haddock,  mackerel,  or  halibut,  or  either,  or 
all,  or  a  portion  of  these  piscatorial  inhabitants  of  the 
mighty  deep,  I  am  entirely  unable  to  say." 

The  court,  counsel,  and  witnesses,  with  the  excep- 
tions before  noted,  roared  with  laughter;  and  the 
cabin  steward  smiled  complacently,  as  though  he  was 
conscious  of  having  made  a  point. 

"I  can  only  observe,  under  oath,  that  I  was  in- 
formed that  the  vessel  intended  to  depart  in  search, 
of  some  of  the  numerous  ichthyological  specimens  that 
roam  in  finny  herds  through  the  boundless  depths  of 
the  sea  —  as  soon  as  the  tide  turned." 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Ebenier,  but  what  has  all  this  to 
do  with  the  money  and  the  bag?"  asked  the  justice, 
choking  down  his  laughter. 

"  I  trust  I  shall  be  able  to  demonstrate,  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  your  honor,  that  there  is  an  intimate 
connection  between  these  circumstances  «and  the  sus- 


HALF    EOUND    THE    WOELD.  117 

picious  articles  discovered  in  the  state-room  of  Captain 
Fairfield." 

"  Go  on,  then.     It  is  almost  dinner  time." 

"A  doray — an  exceedingly  anomalous  craft  to  a 
resident  of  New  York,  where  I  have  had  the  honor 
to  reside  for  several  seasons  —  a  doray  —  " 

"  You  mean  a  dory  —  don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  really  unable  to  pronounce  the  word  accord- 
ing to  any  authorized  orthography,  as  it  was  never 
my  good  fortune  to  see  the  word  in  print.  I  am 
not  informed  whether  or  not  the  acute  accent  is 
placed  over  the  final  e." 

"  There  is  no  e  in  the  word.     D-o-r-y." 

"  Ah,  excuse  me !  It  is  not  a  French  word,  then, 
and  it  is  quite  proper  to  call  it  a  dory." 

"  Precisely  so ;  and  now,  having  settled  this  im- 
portant point,  that  it  is  a  dory,  and  not  a  doray,  will 
you  inform  the  court  where  you  got  the  bag  and  the 
money?"  said  Squire  Saunders,  beginning  to  be  a 
little  impatient. 

But  he  might  as  well  have  attempted  to  make 
water  run  up  hill  as  to  induce  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebe- 
nier  to  relate  his  story  in  any  other  than  his  own 
way. 


118  FEEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OE 

"A  dory  from  the  fishing  vessel,  about  to  depart 
on  her  voyage,  paid  a  visit  of  courtesy  to  the  Starry 
Flag.  The  party  which  came  in  the  dory  consisted 
of  three  persons,  all  of  them  fishermen,  and  all  of 
them  young  men.  All,  or  a  portion  of  them,  were 
evidently  personal  friends  of  the  four  worthy  young 
men  who  collectively  constitute  the  crew  of  the  yacht, 
of  which  I  have  the  honor  to  be  cabin  steward.  The 
persons  who  came  on  board  were  not  cabin  visitors ; 
I  am  not  even  aware  that  they  paid  then-  respects  to 
our  excellent  captain;  but  I  feel  compelled  to  add 
that,  while  on  board,  they  behaved  with  the  utmost 
propriety.     I  was  located  — " 

"Avast  there!"  exclaimed  the  justice.  "The  court 
is  adjourned  till  after  dinner.  I  hope  the  distinguished 
gentleman  will  be  able  to  spin  out  his  yarn  before  bed 
time." 


HALF    ROUND    TILE    WORLD.  119 


CHAPTER   XI. 

THE    RESULT    OF    THE    EXAMINATION. 

THE  dignity  of  the  court  had  been  effectually 
swamped  by  the  grandiloquence  of  Mr.  C.  Au- 
gustus Ebenier,  though  it  was  evident  that  he  was  a 
very  important  witness.  Of  course  no  one  was  invit- 
ed to  dine  at  the  miser's,  and  the  court  and  witnesses 
went  home  to  dinner.  As  a  compromise,  Constable 
Cooke  was  asked  to  dine  with  his  prisoner  at  Mr. 
"Watson's.  ,At  the  appointed  hour  in  the  afternoon 
the  court  again  assembled  in  the  house  of  the  miser. 
"  Mr.  Ebenier,"  said  Squire  Saunders,  "  you  had  pro- 
ceeded in  your  narrative,  when  the  court  adjourned, 
to  the  point  where  four  of  the  crew  of  the  fishing 
vessel,  about  to  depart  in  search  of  ichthyological 
specimens,  came  on  board  of  the  yacht,  which  has 
the  honor  to  have  your  valuable  services  as  stew- 
ard." 


120  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon ;  I  had  the  honor,  not 
the  yacht,"  interposed  Mr.  Ebernier,  bowing. 

"  Well,  I  should  say  that  the  honors  were  divided," 
replied  the  justice ;  and  his  remark  was  regarded  as 
a  judicial  joke.  "  If  you  could  commence  where  you 
left  off,  and  go  on,  I  should  be  under  very  great  ob- 
ligations to  you." 

"I  will  make  a  persistent  effort  to  do  so,  your 
honor,"  added  the  obliging  Mr.  C  Augustus  Ebenier. 
"  As  I  had  the  honor  to  hear  your  honor  remark,  the 
three  young  men  from  the  fishing  vessel,  about  to 
depart,  as  aforesaid,  were  on  board  of  our  yacht,  as 
aforesaid,  and  as  I  was  standing  near  the  cabin  door, 
as  aforesaid,  —  now  my  narrative  jn'ogresses,  your  hon- 
or, —  one  of  the  young  men  from  the  fishing  schooner 
aforesaid,  as  Captain  Fairfield  was  about  to  go  over 
the  side  into  his  boat,  rushed  up  to  me  with  the 
bag  in  his  hand." 

"You  mean  the  shot-bag  containing  the  gold  — 
do  you  ? "  asked  the  squire,  now  deeply  interested  in 
the  substance  of  the  story. 

"  I  do,  your  honor ;  perhaps  I  should  have  said  the 
bag  aforesaid,  which  I  thought  I"  had  described  with 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  121 

sufficient  minuteness.  The  bag  had  originally  con- 
tained shot,  if  the  words  printed  on  it  can  be  relied 
upon  —  " 

"In  the  name  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  don't  repeat  the  description  of  the  bag ! "  pro- 
tested the  squire.  "  One  of  the  young  men  rushed 
up  to  you  with  the  bag  in  his  hand." 

"  The  bag  aforesaid,  then,  your  honor.  I  affirm 
that  he  rushed  up  to  me,  meaning  that  he  walked 
briskly  and  rapidly  towards  me.  He  placed  the  bag 
—  the  bag  aforesaid,  your  honor  —  in  my  hand,  ex- 
tended for  the  purpose  of  receiving  it  when  I  under- 
stood that  he  wished  to  commit  it  to  my  keeping." 

"  Precisely  so ;  wliat  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  He  observed  that  the  captain  desired  me  to  place 
the  parcel  —  by  which  I  mean  the  bag  aforesaid,  with 
its  contents,  not  then  known  to  me  —  in  one  of  the 
lockers  in  his  state-room.  As  nearly  as  I.  can  remem- 
ber, though  I  should  not  be  willing  to  swear  to  the 
precise  phraseology  of  the  language  he  used,  his 
words  were,  '  The  captain  wants  you  to  put  this  into 
the  locker  in  his  state-room.' " 

"Didn't  you  ask  him  what  it  was?" 


122  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"No,  your  honor;  I  never  ask  any  questions  when 
the  captain's  orders  come  to  me.  It  is  my  duty  to 
obey,  without  knowing  the  reasons  for  the  action  I 
am  directed  to  take.  I  went  immediately  to  the  cap- 
tain's state-room,  and  deposited  the  parcel  —  the  bag 
aforesaid  —  in  one  of  the  empty  lockers.  I  supposed 
from  its  weight  that  it  contained  nails,  hinges,  screws, 
or  some  other  species  of  hardware." 

"Did  you  see  the  captain  hand  it  to  the  person 
who  gave  it  to  you?" 

"  No,  your  honor,  I  did  not.  Under  the  painfully 
disagreeable  circumstances  which  have  followed  the 
denouement  of  the  depositing  of  the  bag  aforesaid  in 
the  locker,  I  wish  to  add,  if  my  humble  opinion  is 
of  any  value  to  this  honorable  court,  that  I  do  not 
believe  the  captain  gave  the  bag  aforesaid  to  the 
person  of  whom  I  received  it." 

"Do  you  know  the  name  of  the  man  who  gave  it 
to  you?"  asked  Squire  Cleaves. 

"I  can  only  reply  that  I  heard  him  called  Ben, — 
which  I  presume  is  an  abbreviation  of  Benjamin,  — 
when  addressed  by  his  companions." 

"  It  was  Ben  Seaver,"  said  Levi.  "  He  was  on 
board  at  the  time  mentioned." 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  123 

"I  have  no  knowledge  whatever  in  regard  to  his 
patronymic,"  added  the  cabin  steward. 

"Why  do  you  say  you  don't  believe  the  captain 
handed  it  to  Ben  ?  "  continued  the  justice. 

"Because,  your  honor,  the  circumstances  do  not 
justify  such  a  conclusion  on  my  part.  It  is  not  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  —  " 

"  Confine  yourself  to  the  facts,  Mr.  Ebenier.  We 
do  not  care  to  listen  to  an  argument,"  interposed  the 
justice. 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon ;  to  facts,  then,  will  I 
confine  myself.  The  captain  went  directly  from  the 
cabin  to  his  boat,  and  the  person  whom  his  compan- 
ions called  Ben  came  to  me  directly  from  the  fore- 
castle. I  did  not  see  him  hold  any  communication 
with  the  captain,  though  he  paused  for  a  moment  at 
the  gangway,  and  looked  over  the  rail  into  the 
boat." 

"  Might  not  the  captain  have  handed  him  the  pack- 
age then  ?  " 

"I  don't  think  it  was  possible,  your  honor." 

"  What  were  the  men  on  the  forecastle  doing  ? " 

"  They  were  coiling  away  a  spare  cable  —  all  but 


124  FEEAKS    OF    FOETUNE,    OE 

Bob  Thomas,  who  was  to  pull  the  captain  ashore ; 
and  the  visitors  were  assisting  them." 

"  That  will  do,  Mr.  Ebenier ;  we  are  much  obliged 
to  you  for  the  lucid  manner  in  which  you  have  given 
your  testimony,  which  is  very  important,"  said  Squire 
Saunders. 

Bob  Thomas,  who  had  pulled  the  captain  ashore, 
and  who  had  been  in  the  boat  with  him  at  the  time 
when  he  was  alleged  to  have  sent  the  bag  to  the 
steward,  was  next  questioned.  He  had  neither  seen 
the  bag,  nor  seen  Levi  speak  to  Ben  Seaver.  The 
rest  of  the  crew  were  examined,  but  nothing  was 
elicited  from  them.  Each  of  them  was  asked  what 
had  passed  between  Ben  and  himself,  but  the  conver- 
sation related  entirely  to  fish  and  fishing.  Mat  Mog- 
more  seemed  to  be  slightly  confused,  which  was  at- 
tributed to  bashfulness,  for  his  statements  were  as 
square  as  those  of  his  shipmates. 

Ben  Seaver,  who  appeared  to  be  the  only  person 
that  could  solve  the  mystery,  had  gone  on  a  fishing 
voyage,  and  might  not  return  for  two  months  or 
more.  No  one  had  seen  him  at  the  fire,  when  the 
money  was  stolen;  and  it  was  not  probable  that  he 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  125 

was  the  original  thief,  whatever  part  he  might  have 
been  employed  to  perform  by  the  guilty  party. 

Levi  himself  was  then  examined  at  great  length. 
His  statements,  covering  the  time  from  the  fire  down 
to  the  present  moment,  were  clear  and  positive.  He 
knew  nothing  about  the  money;  he  had  not  given  the 
bag  to  Ben  Seaver ;  had  not  spoken  to  him,  except  to 
pass  the  time  of  day  with  him  as  an  old  acquaintance. 
When  Dock  and  Mr.  Fairfield  declared  that  Levi 
hated  his  uncle,  Mrs.  Fairfield  disproved  the  state- 
ment by  adducing  all  the  kind  acts  he  had  performed. 

Squire  Cleaves,  for  the  defendant,  then  reviewed 
the  testimony  for  and  against  his  client. 

"It  certainly  has  not  been  shown  that  Levi  stole 
this  money,"  said  he.  "Nor  has  sufficient  evidence 
been  brought  against  him  to  render  it  probable  that 
he  is  guilty ;  not  enough  to  justify  your  honor  in 
committing  him  for  trial.  This  investigation  has  led 
us  to  follow  the  bag  from  the  captain's  state-room 
to  the  hands  of  Ben  Seaver.  There  we  are  blocked, 
and  can  go  no  farther  till  this  person's  return  from 
his  voyage.  Mr.  Watson  proposes  to  charter  a  steam- 
er, send  her  after  the  fishing  vessel,  and  bring  back 


126  FKEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

Ben  Seaver.  Then  we  can  follow  the  bag  until  it 
leads  us  to  the  fact  of  a  conspiracy  against  my 
client." 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  send  any  steamer  after  the 
witness,"  said  the  justice.  "  The  only  evidence,  in 
this  long  examination,  which  has  been  brought  against 
the  prisoner,  is,  that  the  bag  was  found  in  his  state- 
room. It  has  been  shown,  conclusively,  that  he  did 
not  place  it  there,  and  probably  did  not  cause  it  to 
be  placed  there.  The  defendant  is  discharged."  And 
Squire  Saunders  rose  from  his  seat  at  the  table. 

The  decision,  though  it  had  not  been  unexj)ected, 
caused  a  decided  sensation  in  the  little  audience 
assembled  in  the  miser's  chamber.  Dock  Vincent 
was  mad,  Mr.  Fairfield  was  in  despair,  and  the  con- 
stable was  disappointed.  The  victim  had  escaped, 
and  the  miser  had  obtained  no  clew  to  the  lost  treas- 
ure. The  justice  took  possession  of  the  bag  and  its 
contents,  to  be  used  when  Ben  Seaver  returned.  The 
audience  dispersed  to  talk  over  the  event  among 
themselves. 

Levi's  friends,  including  Mr.  Gayles,  who  had  lis- 
tened with  the  deepest  interest  to  the   proceedings, 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOELD.  127 

were  satisfied  that  the  whole  affair  was  a  conspiracy. 
Mr.  Watson's  theory  was,  that  Dock  Vincent  had 
robbed  the  miser  himself,  and  had  employed  the  ab- 
sentee to  place  the  bag  in  Levi's  room,  intending 
himself  to  be  on  the  way  to  Australia  before  Seaver 
returned.  As  the  matter  stood,  nothing  could  be 
proved.  But  Mr.  Gayles  declared  that  he  should 
watch  Dock  Vincent  and  a  "certain  other  person," 
whose  name  he  declined  to  mention,  by  night  and 
by  day,  until  some  evidence  was  obtained.  It  was 
not  enough  to  vindicate  the  innocent ;  the  guilty 
must  be  exposed  and  punished. 

"  Then  Levi  didn't  steal  my  money,  arter  all,"  said 
Mr.  Fairfield  to  Dock  Vincent,  after  the  other  people 
had  gone. 

"  Yes,  he  did.  Levi 's  smart,  and  knows  how  to 
cover  up  his  work." 

"We  don't  know  no  more'n  nothin'  in  the  world 
what's  come  on't,"  sighed  Mr.  Fairfield. 

"Levi's  got  it;  and  it  will  come  to  light  yet," 
repeated  Dock. 

"I  donno  whether  he  has  or  not." 

"That   nigger   lied    all   the   way  through.      Folks 


128  FEEAKS    OF    FOETUNE,    OE 

that  tell  the  truth  don't  spin  no  sich  yarns  as  he 
did.  If  I  catch  that  nigger  in  the  right  j^lace,  I'll 
pound  him  till  he  tells  the  truth,  for  Levi  certainly 
bribed  him  to  tell  that  story.  He  didn't  say  a  word 
about  Ben  Seaver  on  board  the  vessel.  He  only 
did  it  to  get  his  master  out  of  a  scrape  —  that's 
all,  you  may  depend  upon  it." 

"All  I* want's  my  money,  and  I  don't  keer  much 
whether  Levi  took  it  or  not,  if  I  only  git  it,"  groaned 
Mr.  Fairfield. 

"Don't  be  alarmed,  Squire  Fairfield.  You'll  get 
your  money  one  of  these  days  —  every  dollar  of  it, 
for  Levi's  got  money  enough  to  make  up  for  what 
he  spends.  I've  got  some  one  in  a  situation  to  keep 
watch  of  him,  and  something  '11  leak  out  before  long. 
"You  keep  a  stiff  upper  lij),  Squire  Fairfield,  and  it'll 
all  come  out  right  in  the  end,"  added  Dock,  as  he 
turned  to  leave. 

"I  don't  feel  quite  so  sartain  as  I  did  that  Levi 
done  it,"  replied  Mr.  Fairfield. 

"  Yes,  he  did,  and  that  nigger  got  him  out  of  the 
scrape.  Levi 's  smart,  and  so  's  the  nigger.  Wasn't 
it  cunning  for  him  to  say  the  bag  was  given  him  by 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOULD.  129 

a  man  who  has  gone  off  on  a  fishing  voyage  ?  I  can 
see  through  that  trick  with,  my  eyes  shut,  I  shall 
keep  an  eye  on  Levi,  and  on  that  nigger  too,"  said 
the  comforter,  as  he  left  the  room. 

Dock  was  sorely  vexed  at  the  result  of  the  exami- 
nation. He  had  been  confident  that  his  victim  would 
be  committed  for  trial,  but  the  steward's  testimony 
had  saved  him.  He  walked  down  towards  his  own 
house ;  but  he  had  not  gone  far  before  he  discovered 
Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier,  going  in  the  direction  of 
the  Point.  With  a  little  contrivance  on  Dock's  part, 
they  came  together  out  of  sight  and  hearing  of  every- 
body. 

9 


130  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 


CHAPTER  XII. 


HOTEL   DE    POISSON. 


IF  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  had  *been  a  prudent 
colored  man,  he  would  have  avoided  the  meeting 
which  Captain  Dock  Vincent  contrived  to  bring  about, 
by  dodging  around  the  rocks,  and  again  apj)earing  in 
the  principal  path.  But  he  was  not  a  prudent  col- 
ored man ;  and  when  he  saw  the  dangerous  individ- 
ual before  him,  though  he  might  easily  have  turned 
aside  so  as  to  avoid  him,  he  did  not  do  so. 

The  steward  was  a  very  peaceable  and  well-dis- 
posed person  on  board  the  yacht,  and  elsewhere,  but 
under  certain  circumstances  he  was  a  belligerent  col- 
ored man.  He  had  a  very  reasonable  and  decided 
objection  to  being  called  a  "  nigger."  He  claimed 
that  he  was  a  gentleman,  and  while  he  behaved  like 
a  gentleman,  he  declined  to  be  insulted  with  impu- 
nity.   Mr.  Ebenier  saw  the  person  who  had  applied 


HALF   ROUND    THE    "WOULD.  131 

this  obnoxious  epithet  to  him  during  the  examination. 
It  is  possible  that  his  heart  beat  a  little  quicker  when 
he  discovered  the  blackguard,  as  he  regarded  him; 
but  it  is  certain  that  he  did  not  turn  to  the  right 
or  the  left,  but  proceeded  on  his  way  as  though  Dock 
had  been  a  pygmy,  instead  of  the  heavy,  stout  man  he 
was. 

"  See  here,  you  nigger,"  Dock  began,  when  the 
steward  was  within  hailing  distance. 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me,  you  state-prison  bird  ?  " 
replied  the  colored  man. 

"What's  that  you  say?"  demanded  Dock,  an- 
grily. 

"I  asked  you  what  you  wanted  of  me,  you  state- 
prison  bird,"  repeated  the  steward. 

"  We'll  settle  that  here,"  said  Dock,  rolling  up  his 
sleeves.  "I  don't  allow  any  man,  white  or  black,  to 
insult  me." 

"That's  just  my  position  exactly,"  added  Mr.  Ebe- 
nier,  throwing  off  his  coat.  "  I  don't  allow  any  man, 
big  or  little,  black  or  white,  to  insult  me." 

The  unexpected  readiness  of  the  steward  to  settle 
the  question  on  the  spot  rather  startled  and  perplexed 


132  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

Dock,  and  lie  did  not  appear  to  be  quite  so  ready  to 
"pitch  in"  as  he  supposed  he  was.  It  is  sometimes 
true  of  individuals,  as  it  is  of  nations,  that  a  readiness 
to  fight  is  the  surest  guarantee  of  peace. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  calling  me  a  state-prison 
bird?"  demanded  Dock,  in  less  confident  tones. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  calling  me  a  nigger?'" 
retorted  the  steward. 

"  Well,  you  are   one  —  arn't  you  ?  " 

"Well,  you  are  a  state-prison  bird  —  arn't  you?" 

"  Don't  say  that  again  !  "  said  Dock,  shaking  his  head. 

"Fll  say  it  twenty-five  times  more,  if  you  call  me 
a  nigger  as  many   times  as  that." 

"Arn't  you  a  black  man?" 

"  I  am ;  but  my  heart  isn't  half  so  black  as  yours. 
I'm  not  a  nigger,"  protested  the  colored  man,  stoutly ; 
and  it  was  evident  in  this  instance  that  the  negro 
would  fight,  which  was  just  the  thing  Dock  didn't 
wish  him  to  do. 

"Whatever  you  are,  I  won't  dirty  my  hands  lick- 
ing a  nigger,"  added  the  bully. 

"But  I'll  dirty  mine  by  licking  a  state-prison  bird, 
and  you    shall  have   the   satisfaction  of  being  licked 


HALS'   KOUXD    THE    WOBLD.  133 

by  a  black  man,"  said  the  steward,  stepping  up  to- 
wards his  burly  antagonist. 

"  Cool  off,  cuffee ;  I  was  only  joking  with  you," 
continued  Dock,  with  a  mighty  effort  to  laugh. 

^  Don't  call  me  cuffee.  My  name  is  C.  Augustus 
Ebenier,  and  I  am  ready  to  teach  you  good  manners, 
without  fee   or  reward." 

"Never  mind,  Mr.  What's-your-name." 

"  If  you  wish  to  apologize,  do  so,  or  I'll  soil  my 
boot  by  kicking  you." 

"  Apologize  to  a  nigger ! "  exclaimed  Dock. 

The  steward  kicked  him.  This  was  more  than 
Dock  could  stand,  and  he  levelled  a  blow  at  the 
spunky  assailant,  which  was  parried.  Dock  was 
heavy,  but  he  was  clumsy,  and  before  he  could  re- 
peat the  stroke,  the  hard  fist  of  the  colored  man  had 
settled  under  one  of  his  eyes,  leaving  its  mark  there 
—  a  black  eye.  The  bully  retreated  under  the  stun- 
ning force  of  the  blow,  and  picked  up  a  stone,  which 
he  hurled  at  his  opponent,  but  fortunately  without 
hitting  him.  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  appeared  to 
be  satisfied  with  what  he  had  done,  and  he  did  not 
follow  up  his   advantage,  but  picked  up  a  stone,  to 


134  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OE 

intimate  that  two  could  play  at  that  game  as  well 
as  one. 

"  We'll  settle  this  another  time,"  said  Dock,  wiping 
his  black  eye. 

"  You  wanted  to  settle  it  now,  and  you  have,"  re- 
plied the  steward.  "  If  I  can  do  anything  more  for 
you,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  call  me  a  nigger,  and 
I'll  put  your  other  eye  into  mourning." 

"  I'll  see  you  again,"  said  Dock,  in  threatening  tones, 
as  he  turned  and  walked  away  towards  his  house. 

The  steward  put  on  his  coat,  and  moved  towards 
the  landing-place,  beyond  the  chasm.  Since  the  ex- 
amination, he  had  been  promenading  the  town  to 
see  the  place,  or,  what  is  quite  as  likely,  to  permit 
the  inhabitants  to  see  him ;  for  Mr.  Ebenier  was 
human,  and  his  weak  point  was  a  large  estimate  of 
his  own  consequence.  He  was  on  his  way  to  the 
Point  to  hail  the  yacht  for  a  boat. 

He  followed  the  path  better  satisfied  with  himself 
than  we  are  with  him,  for  it  is  not  the  part  of  a 
gentleman  to  fight  unless  attacked,  or  to  return  epi- 
thet for  epithet.  But  he  had  hardly  taken  half  a 
dozen  steps,  before  a  stone,  as  big  as  a  man's  fist, 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WOULD.  135 

struck  him  on  the  back  of  the  head,  and  he  dropped 
senseless  upon  the  rocks,  not  killed,  or  even  badly- 
hurt,  b^t  effectually  stunned.  This  was  Dock  Yin- 
cent's  mode  of  warfare  —  to  hit  a  man  behind  his 
back. 

"  >Tow  you'll  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head  for 
a  while,"  said  the  ruffian  to  himself,  as  he  hastened 
towards  his  house. 

The  steward  lay  still  upon  his  bed  of  rocks.  The 
sun  had  gone  down,  and  the  darkness  gathered  over 
him ;  but  no  one  appeared  to  render  him  any  assist- 
ance. The  blow  had  been  a  heavy  one,  and  the 
blood  ran  down  the  back  of  his  head  from  the  flesh 
wound  it  had  produced. 

.  When  it  was  quite  dark,  Augustus,  as  he  was 
called  on  board  the  yacht,  began  to  move  and  ex- 
hibit some  signs  of  life ;  but  a  few  minutes  elapsed 
before  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  to  rise.  He  got 
tip,  rubbed  his  head,  looked  around  him,  and  collect- 
ed his  ideas  enough  to  know  where  he  was.  He 
felt  the  blood  on  his  head,  but  he  was  a  strong- 
minded  man,  and  did  not  believe  he  was  killed.  He 
walked   down   to   the    landing-place,   and  hailed   the 


136  FREAKS    OF  FORTUNE,    OB 

yacht  without  obtaining  any  response.  He  repeated 
the  call  a  dozen  times  with  no  better  success.  Either 
the  crew  were  not  on  board,  or  they  had  turned  in 
for  the  night. 

Augustus  was  a  man  of  the  world,  and  his  philos- 
ophy was  equal  to  almost  any  occasion.  He  could 
not  get  on  board,  and  therefore  he  decided  to  remain 
on  shore,  which  exhibited  a  nicety  of  judgment  wor- 
thy of  commendation  and  imitation.  Removing  his 
collar,  he  bathed  his  head  and  neck  in  cold  salt 
water,  and  was  satisfied  that  his  wound  was  not  a 
dangerous  one.  He  congratulated  himself  that  the 
stone  had  not  hit  him  in  "the  face,  and  thus  marred 
his  personal  beauty ;  for,  being  an  exquisite  in  hi& 
own  wayy  this  would  have  been  the  most  fearful 
calamity  that  could  possibly  have  haj^pened  to  him. 

After  making  himself  presentable,  so  far  as  he 
could  in  the  darkness,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  mirror, 
his  first  impulse  was  to  find  his  treacherous  enemy, 
and  punish  him  for  his  dastardly  attack;  for  Mr. 
Ebenier  did  not  purpose  to  trouble  Squire  Saunders 
or  the  courts  with  his  affair.  But  he  did  not  know 
where   to  find  Dock,    and   was  not    aware    that  he 


HALF   ROTJXD    TIIE    WORLD.  137 

lived  in  the  house  nearest  to  the  landing-place.  He 
did  not  exactly  like  the  idea  of  passing  the  night 
in  the  open  air,  and  it  would  not  be  etiquette  for 
him  to  apply  to  Mr.  Watson  or  the  captain  for  a 
lodging. 

The  steward  was  not  only  a  philosopher,  but  a 
man  of  expedients.  On  his  way  up  to  the  town  in 
the  morning  he  had  noticed  a  dilapidated  fish-house, 
at  the  head  of  a  little  inlet.  This  building  would 
afford  him  a  shelter,  if  nothing  more,  for  the  night, 
and  he  repaired  to  its  friendly  but  inhospitable  roof. 
Entering  the  fish-house,  he  groped  about  for  a  suita- 
ble place  to  lie  down,  and  blundered  against  a  rick- 
ety flight  of  stairs  in  one  corner.  Hoping  to  find 
better  sleeping  accommodation  in  the  loft  than  on 
the  ground  floor,  —  as  literally  it  was,  being  com- 
posed of  earth  and  rocks,  —  he  ascended  the  steps. 
The  stairs  creaked  and  groaned,  and  it  required  some 
nerve  to  go  up  in  the  dark;  but  the  steward's  cour- 
age was  equal  to  the  emergency. 

He  found  that  it  was  not  safe  to  walk  about  on 
the  floor  of  the  loft  in  the  dark,  for  the  timbers 
groaned   under  his  weight,  and  the  boards  were  full 


138  F&EAKS    CF    FOETUSE,    OR 

of  holes  and  traps;  but  near  the  head  of  the  stairs 
was  an  old  sail,  which  seemed  to  have  been  rjlaeed 
there  for  his  especial  accommodation.  Lying  down 
on  this,  he  wooed  the  slumber  which  his  head,  still 
dizzy  from  the  effects  of  the  blow,  required. 

"  I'm  all  right  now,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  It 
smells  fishy;  I  will  call  it  Hotel  de  Poisson,  and  go 
to  sleep." 

While  the  steward  was  seeking  a  resting-place  for 
his  weary  head,  Dock  Vincent  walked  down  to  the 
Point  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  he  had  killed  his 
victim.  He  was  gone,  and  the  ruffian  went  home 
again. 

Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  could  not  go  to  sleep  in 
his  hotel  as  readily  as  he  desired;  but,  just  as  he 
was  dropping  off,  he  was  startled  by  the  sound  of 
voices,  in  low,  suppressed  tones,  hardly  above  a  whis- 
per. He  heard  footsteps,  and  then  the  dim  light  of 
a  lantern  shed  its  rays  up  through  the  holes  and 
cracks  in  the  floor.  In  vain  he  tried  to  identify  the 
voices ;  the  whispers  did  not  enable  him  to  do  so. 
He  dared  not  move  lest  the  creaking  of  the  timbers 
should  alarm  the  nocturnal  visitors. 


HALF    E0I7ND    THE    WOULD.  139 

He  was  satisfied  that  the  persons  below  were  en- 
gaged in  some  kind  of  mischief,  and  it  was  his  busi- 
ness to  know  what  it  was,  and  who  tbe  men  were. 
Near  the  centre  of  the  loft  there  was  a  large  hole  in 
the  floor,  and  he  commenced  working  himself  by  hun- 
dredth parts  of  an  inch  towards  it;  but  every  time 
he  moved,  however  slightly,  the  creaking  joist  threat- 
ened to  betray  his  presence,  and  he  decided  to  satisfy 
himself  at  once.  One  glance  might  inform  him  who 
the  men  were,  and  perhaps  the  mystery  of  the  stolen 
gold  would  be  solved. 

The  steward  made  a  spring  towards  the  aperture, 
throwing  himself  forward  upon  his  hands,  so  as  to 
look  down  through  the  hole.  He  had  forgotten  the 
ruinous  condition  of  the  Hotel  de  Poisson.  His  weight 
and  the  force  of  his  movement  were  too  much  for 
the  strength  of  the  rotten  wood ;  a  timber  gave  way, 
and  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  was  precipitated,  head 
first,  through  the  hole  he  had  made,  and  struck  be- 
tween the  two  men,  who  sat  each  on  a  rock  facing 
the  other,  with  the  light  on  the  ground  between 
them.  The  lantern  was  smashed,  and  the  two  men 
uttered  a  howl  of  terror. 


140  FKEAKS    OF    FOBTU5TB,    Oli 

If  the  steward's  head  had  struck  one  of  the  rocks 
it  must  have  split  it  open  —  the  head,  not  the  rock ! 
He  hit  the  ground,  and,  as  it  was,  he  was  again 
stunned,   the   men   making    a   hasty    escape   without 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  141 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

«  OFT    FROM  APPARENT   ILLS." 

OUBTLESS  a  person  with  Mr.  C.  Augustus 
Ebenier's  pretensions  to  gentility  should  have 
sent  down  his  card  to  the  individuals  engaged  in 
conference  below  before  he  went  down  himself;  but 
the  circumstances  did  not  permit  the  exercise  of  this 
degree  of  courtesy.  In  fact  the  steward  had  no  in- 
tention forcibly  to  intrude  himself  upon  the  persons 
below;  only  to  obtain  a  glance  at  them.  He  was  a 
man  of  intelligence,  and  the  arrest  of  his  captain,  in 
whose  character  he  had  a  becoming  interest,  was 
enough  to  assure  him  that  something  was  wrong. 
He  had  listened  patiently  to  the  details  of  the  exam- 
ination, and  while  he  was  willing  to  admit  that  the 
old  man  had  been  robbed  of  his  gold,  it  never  en- 
tered his  head  that  Levi  was  guilty  of  the  crime. 
The  muffled  speech  of  the  two  men  in  the  Hotel 


142  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUNE,    OE 

de  Poisson,  and  the  unseemly  hour  they  had  chosen 
for  their  conference,  suggested  to  the  steward  that 
they  had  something  to  do  with  this  robbery.  He 
had  vainly  endeavored  to  identify  their  voices,  and 
as  a  last  resort,  failing  to  obtain  any  information  by 
other  means,  he  decided  to  obtain  one  glance  at  them 
at  all  hazards.  Perhaps  it  was  well  for  him  that  the 
timbers  broke  beneath  his  weight,  for  the  men,  not 
relishing  the  intrusion,  might  have  subjected  him  to 
much  bodily  harm. 

As  it  was,  they  bolted  as  though  an  evil  spirit  had 
suddenly  dropped  down  between  them  from  the  upper 
regions.  They  were  terribly  frightened,  as  indicated 
by  their  rapid  flight.  The  steward  had  not  even 
obtained  his  coveted  view  of  their  faces  and  forms, 
and  was  no  wiser  in  the  end  than  he  was  in  the  be- 
ginning. The  treacherous  timbers  had  defeated  his 
purpose,  while,  perhaps,  they*  had  saved  him  from  a 
greater  calamity  than  his  fall. 

For  the  second  time  that  day,  the  steward  lay 
senseless  on  the  ground.  Though  Mr.  C.  Augustus 
Ebenier  was  not  wanting  in  intelligence,  his  skull 
seemed  to  have  a  capability  for  enduring  hard  knocks 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  143 

which  was  really  surprising.  Doubtless  his  head  was 
his  strong  place ;  if  it  had  not  been,  his  brains  must 
have  been  dashed  out.  According  to  the  tradition,  it 
was  safer  for  him  to  strike  on  his  head  than  on  his 
shins.  Certainly  he  was  not  badly  injured,  and  if 
reduced  to  extremity  he  might  have  let  out  his  head 
for  use  as  a  blacksmith's  anvil. 

Before  the  two  men  who  had  been  conferring  to- 
gether in  the  Hotel  de  Poisson  could  muster  courage 
to  return,  the  steward  had  in  a  great  measure  recov- 
ered from  the  effects  of  the  fall.  Perhaps  the  super- 
abundance of  stars  "which  dawned  uj)on  his  vision 
had  not  all  ceased  to  shine ;  and  perhaps  his  ideas, 
which  had  all  been  thrown  into  a  confused  mass, 
were  not  altogether  detached  and  restored  to  their 
original  channels;  but  Augustus  was  practically  him- 
self again.  His  first  thought  was  one  of  regret  that 
he  had  failed  to  obtain  a  sight  of  the  two  men ; 
that  he  had  not  even  learned  whether  they  were 
black  or  white,  old  or  young,  seamen  or  landsmen. 

He  rubbed  his  head  to  relieve  the  pressure  on  his 
brain,  and  to  vivify  his  ideas.  The  incident  which 
had  occurred  seemed  to  render  the  Hotel  de  Poisson 


144  FREAKS    OF   FOKTin&TE,    OR 

an  unfit  place  for  him  to  remain  during  the  balance 
of  the  night ;  but  he  was  not  willing  to  leave  till  he 
had  examined  the  locality,  and  obtained  whatever 
evidence  it  might  afford  him  in  regard  to  the  mys- 
terious couple  who  had  met  there.  Kicking  about 
the  ground,  he  disturbed  the  fractured  glass  of  the 
lantern.  The  globe  had  been  broken,  but  the  lamp 
was  still  whole. 

Though  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  had  a  great  many 
bright  parts,  he  was  inclined  to  be  a  "  swell."  He 
smoked  a  pipe  on  the  forecastle  of  the  yacht,  but 
when  he  walked  through  the  principal  streets  of 
Rockport,  in  his  plaid  pants  and  bobtail  sack,  he 
smoked  an  Havana  cigar,  with  a  meerschaum  mouth- 
piece, in  deference  to  his  huge  mustache  —  it  was 
more  genteel  to  smoke  a  cigar  than  a  pipe.  The 
steward  carried  a  cigar  case,  which  always  contained 
two  or  three  of  the  choicest  brand,  and  he  claimed 
to  have  brought  them  from  Havana  himself.  In  this 
case  he  also  carried  matches,  which  now  promised  to 
serve  him  a  better  turn  than  for  the  lighting  of  his 
cigar. 

In  a  moment    he    had   the   lamp  from  the  lantern 


HALF    EOUND    THE    WOULD.  145 

burning,  and  was  looking  curiously  and  eagerly  about 
the  premises.  The  steward  had  an  idea ;  perhaps 
not  a  very  brilliant  one,  but  as  brilliant  as  could  be 
expected  of  a  man  whose  intellect  had  been  so  rudely 
jarred,  twice  within  a  brief  period.  The  conduct  of 
the  two  transient  guests  at  the  Hotel  de  Poisson  had 
been  suspicious,  to  say  the  least.  That  afternoon  the 
robbery  had  been  fully  discussed,  and  he  was  confi- 
dent that  the  visitors  were  in  some  manner  connect- 
ed with  that  affair.  His  idea  was,  that  the  fish-house 
had  been  used  as  a  place  of  concealment  for  the 
plunder.  He  made  a  hasty  examination  of  the  ground 
and  the  rocks  which  formed  the  first  floor  of  the 
Hotel  de  Poisson,  but  discovered  nothing  to  confirm, 
his  impression. 

The  steward  crossed  the  place  to  examine  under 
the  rickety  stairs.  On  his  way  he  hit  his  head 
against  a  splintered  board,  which  was  hanging  from 
the  floor  above,  partly  detached  by  his  movement 
through  the  structure.  It  scratched  the  top  of  his 
head,  already  tender  from  rough  usage,  and  thereby 
vexed  and  angered  him,  as  slight  accidents  often  ruf- 
fle even  great  minds.  With  a  gesture  of  impatience, 
10 


146  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUNE,    OE 

and  a  petulant  word  not  in  good  taste  for  a  drawing- 
room,  he  seized  the  projecting  board,  and  gave  it  a 
savage  wrench. 

Mr.  Ebenier  was  not  a  poet  himself  but  he  was 
fond  of  the  poets,  and  had  perused  Milton,  Shak- 
speare,  Beattie,  Cowper,  and  Keats  with  real  pleasure, 
to  say  nothing  of  having  read  Corneille  and  Racine 
in  the  original.  The  steward,  therefore,  was  prepared 
to  appreciate  the  poet's  sentiment,  "Oft  from  appar- 
ent ills  our  blessings  rise."  His  impatient  gesture  and 
his  petulant  exclamation  when  the  board  scratched 
his  head,  indicated  that  he  regarded  the  accident  as 
"  an  apparent  ill ; "  but,  as  he  wrenched  the  board,  a 
shot-bag,  plethoric  with  gold  coin,  tumbled,  with  a 
clinking  clang,  uj)on  the  ground  at  his  feet,  narrowly 
avoiding  his  head,  and  thus  saving  him  from  being 
knocked  senseless  a  third  time. 

The  steward  opened  his  eyes,  and  regarded  the  bag 
as  the  blessing.  He  shook  the  board  again,  and  an- 
other bag  came  this  time.  Then  be  pulled  it  away, 
and  the  sail  which  had  formed  his  bed  in  the  loft 
rolled  down.  Overhauling  this,  he  found  a  third 
bag;    and  this  was  the   last  he  could  find.     Picking 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  147 

up  the  lamp  till  it  blazed  like  a  torch,  he  renewed 
the  search;  but  no  more  of  these  heavy  blessings 
were  available. 

Mr.  Ebenier  was  satisfied,  and  he  set  his  lamp 
down  on  the  ground,  intending  to  open  one  of  the 
bags,  and  ascertain  the  nature  of  its  contents.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances  the  steward  would  have  been 
too  careful  to  set  his  lamp  down  so  near  a  pile  of 
dry  seaweed  as  he  did  on  the  present  occasion.  But 
his  mind  was,  probably,  so  confused  by  the  hard 
knocks  his  head  had  received,  and  by  the  excitement 
of  finding  the  gold,  that  he  took  little  note  of  his  sur- 
roundings. His  thought  was  concentrated  ujDon  the 
bags  of  gold.  He  did  not  even  think  of  the  two  men 
whose  conference  he  had  disturbed,  and  did  not  seem 
to  fear  that  they  would  return  and  deprive  him  of 
his  booty. 

He  was  about  to  untie  the  string  of  one  of  the 
heavy  bags,  when  a  bright  glare  overspread  the  space 
before  him.  The  pile  of  dry  seaweed,  which  had  been 
used  to  cover  a  sail-boat  in  the  winter,  was  all  in  a 
light  blaze.  The  steward  tried  to  quench  the  flames 
with  his  feet,  but  his  efforts  were  unavailing.    The  dry 


148  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

stuff  burned  like  shavings,  and  the  more  he  kicked, 
the  more  the  fire  leaped  up  and  spit  at  him.  He 
fought  the  flames  as  long  as  his  courage  held  out, 
and  then  he  "  allowed "  that  the  Hotel  de  Poisson 
was  a  doomed  structure. 

Taking  the  money-bags,  he  retreated  down  the 
peninsula  towards  the  landing-place  at  the  Point, 
lighted  on  his  way  by  the  burning  building.  Cross- 
ing the  plank,  he  reached  the  shore.  There  was  a 
dory  there,  and  putting  the  three  bags  into  it,  the 
steward  launched  it,  and  pulled  off  to  the  yacht. 
The  treasure  was  conveyed  to  the  cabin,  and  depos- 
ited temporarily  in  a  locker  under  a  berth.  The  dory 
was  towed  back  to  the  shore,  and  placed  where  the 
steward  had  found  it,  that  no  early  fisherman  might 
be  deprived  of  his  morning  trip.  Augustus  was  in  a 
flurry  of  excitement  all  this  time,  and  had  not  even 
considered  what  he  should  do  with  the  bags.  His 
present  object  was  to  secure  the  plunder  so  that  it 
could  not  be  recovered  by  the  robbers;  and,  having 
done  this,  he  was  entirely  satisfied  with  himself,  and 
everybody  else,  except  Dock  Vincent,  to  whom  he 
owed  a  balance  on  account,  for  that  night's  business. 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  149 

There  was  an  alarm  of  fire  on  shore.  The  bright 
glare  of  the  flames  from  the  Hotel  de  Poisson  pene- 
trated the  windows  of  a  house  near  Dock  Vincent's, 
and  lighted  up  the  bed-chamber  of  a  sleeping  stone- 
cutter. He  gave  the  alarm ;  the  bells  rang,  the  en- 
gines rattled,  and  the  whole  town  was  aroused  from 
its  peaceful  slumbers.  Hundreds  of  men,  who  had 
worked  hard  all  day,  lost  two  hours  of  sleep  for  an 
old  shanty  which  was  not  worth  five  dollars. 

The  Hotel  de  Poisson  was  burned  to  the  ground 
before  many  people  had  gathered.  Some  good  men 
thanked  God  that  it  had  not  been  a  poor  man's 
house ;  young  men  enjoyed  the  excitement  of  "  run- 
ning with  the  machine,"  and  those  with  an  eye  for  the 
picturesque  were  thankful  that  the  unsightly  shanty 
had  been  removed  from  a  place  where  it  disfigured 
the  landscape.  No  one  appeared  to  be  sorry;  but 
every  one  wondered  how  the  fire  had  caught.  Va- 
rious conjectures  were  suggested;  but,  after  all,  no 
one  knew  anything  about  it.  Some  thought  a  strag- 
gler had  used  it  as  a  lodging,  and  set  it  on  fire  in 
lighting  his  pipe.  Others  thought  some  bad  boys 
had  set  the  fire  for  fun. 


150  FREAKS    OP   FORTUNE,   OR 

If  the  two  men  who  had  met  there  to  confer 
about  their  ill-gotten  gold  were  in  the  crowd,  doubt- 
less they  were  sadder  and  wiser  men.  Probably  they 
thought  that  the  breaking  of  the  lantern  had  com- 
municated the  flame  to  the  shanty.  The  people 
present  knew  nothing  of  the  event  in  the  Hotel  de 
Poisson  wherein  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  had  been 
the  principal  actor.  The  finding  of  the  half-melted 
remains  of  a  lantern  had  no  significance  or  sugges- 
tiveness  to  them.  The  building  burned  up  clean,  and 
there  was  nothing  left  of  it  but  a  few  smoking  tim- 
bers, and  a  thin  sprinkling  of  ashes  on  the  ground 
and  the  rocks. 

If  the  robbers,  whoever  they  were,  went  -to  the  fire, 
it  is  more  than  likely  that  they  searched  eagerly 
among  the  ruins  for  the  gold.  If  they  did,  they  saw 
nothing  which  looked  like  the  fused  coins  of  the 
treasure.  The  old  sail,  in  which  the  gold  appeared 
to  have  been  concealed,  or  which  had  been  thrown 
over  its  place  of  concealment,  was  burned  to  tinder, 
and  there  was  not  a  vestige  of  the  bags  or  the 
money. 


HALF    BOUND    THE    WOJJLD.  151 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"lose  his  own  soul!" 

THE  steward  of  The  Starry  Flag,  after  he  had 
returned  the  dory  to  the  rocks,  and  secured 
the  jolly-boat  of  the  yacht,  had  an  opportunity  to 
rest  his  fevered,  mixed-up  brain,  and  to  consider  his 
next  step.  The  four  seamen  of  the  schooner  sle]3t  on 
shore,  at  their  own  homes,  and  there  was  no  one  on 
board  but  the  cook,  who  slumbered  heavily  in  the 
forecastle,  and  did  not  hear  Augustus  when  he  con- 
veyed the  bags  to  the  cabin. 

Mr.  Ebenier  lighted  a  lamp,  closed  the  cabin  doors, 
and  drew  the  silken  curtains  over  the  ports  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  trunk,  so  that  no  one  could  see 
what  he  was  doing.  Though  it  was  not  lawful  for  the 
steward  to  use  the  w'ash-bowl  in  Mr.  Watson's  state- 
room, he  considered  that  the  present  emergency  would 
justify  him  in  doing  so.     He  performed  his  ablutions 


152  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OK 

with  the  utmost  care,  paying  particular  attention  to  his 
wounded  head.  He  then  changed  his  clothing  through- 
out, and  devoted  half  an  hour  to  cleansing  his  plaid 
pants,  which  had  been  somewhat  soiled  by  contact 
with  the  burning  seaweed.  He  even  polished  his  boots 
before  he  jmt  them  away. 

So  far  as  cleanliness  was  concerned,  the  steward 
was  a  gentleman,  which  no  unclean  person  can  be. 
Having  completed  his  toilet,  and  removed  all  signs 
of  the  operation  from  the  state-room,  he  sat  down  on 
a  locker  in  the  cabin.  He  was  thinking  of  the  ex- 
traordinary incidents  of  the  night.  He  was  fully  sat- 
isfied that  he  had  found  Mr.  Fairfield's  treasure,  and 
that  the  opportunity  entirely  to  free  his  young  cap- 
tain from  suspicion  was  within  his  grasp.  It  was  a 
pleasant  thought;  but,  after  all,  who  was  Captain 
Fairfield  ?  Only  a  young  fellow  behind  whose  chair 
at  dinner  he  was  privileged  to  stand.  He  had  seen 
him  for  the  first  time  but  a  few  days  before,  and  he 
did  not  feel  under  any  peculiar  obligations  to  him. 

Mr.  Ebenier  took  the  three  bags  of  gold  from  the 
locker,  and  laid  them  on  the  cabin  table.  It  was 
midnight    by  the  clock  which    hung   in  the   cabin  — 


HALF    ROUND    TIIE    WORLD.  153 

0 

the  dead  hour  of  night,  when  all  were  sleeping.  The 
fire  on  shore  had  burned  out,  and  all  was  still  save 
the  rolling  sea.  The  steward  went  to  the  door,  opened 
it,  passed  up  to  the  deck ;  there  was  no  one  in  sight, 
and  hardly  a  light  to  be  seen  on  the  land.  Return- 
ing to  the  cabin,  he  poured  out  the  contents  of  one 
of  the  bags  on  the  table,  and  proceeded  to  count 
the  gold.  It  was  a  long  job,  and  there  was  more 
money  than  the  steward  had  ever  before  seen  togeth- 
er. On  a  piece  of  p$per  he  noted  each  hundred  dol- 
lars with  a  tally-mark.  His  last  pile  contained  but 
fifty  dollars.  Counting  up  his  marks,  he  made  thirty- 
eight  of  them ;  and  the  whole  sum,  according  to 
his  reckoning,  was  thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars. 

The  old  man  had  lost  four  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  steward,  concluding  he  had  made  a  mistake,  per- 
formed the  agreeable  task  of  counting  the  gold  a 
second  time,  but  with  the  same  result  as  before.  Af- 
ter making  the  allowance  for  the  fifty  dollars  found 
in  the  captain's  state-room,  the  amount  was  one  hun- 
dred dollars  short.  Mr.  Ebenier  had  the  impudence 
to  ask    himself  if  this  could    be    the    miser's   money, 


154  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OB 

since  it  did  not  hold  out  in  the  sum  he  had  lost. 
But  the  bags  were  plainly  marked,  as  the  fourth  had 
been,  "N.  Fairfield,"  in  the  cramped  handwriting  of 
the  miser.  Of  course  there  could  be  no  doubt  in 
regard  to  the  ownership  of  the  treasure,  and  Mr. 
Ebenier  could  not  but  wonder  at  the  stupidity  of  the 
thieves  in  hiding  it  in  or  under  the  old  sail  in  the 
Hotel  de  Poisson.  But  he  did  them  the  justice  to 
conclude  that  it  had  only  been  placed  there  for  a 
short  time,  perhaps  for  but  a  few  hours ;  at  any  rate, 
their  presence  in  the  shanty  indicated  that  it  was  to 
have  been  removed  during  the  night.' 

It  had  been  removed  during  the  night  !  The 
steward  chuckled  when  he  thought  of  it,  but  his 
capacious  intellect  was  agitated  by  a  great  moral 
question.  Thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  was 
an  immense  sum  to  a  person  in  his  station,  who  had 
never  had  even  a  hundred  dollars  in  his  possession 
at  one  time.  Honesty  was  a  precious  jewel,  but  it 
was  not  possible  for  him  to  make  thirty-eight  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  at  one  stupendous  haul,  by  being 
honest.  He  did  not  steal  the  money.  He  did  not 
rob  the  old  man.      If  the  steward  had   not   suffered 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  155 

the  perils  and  discomforts  of  two  broken  heads,  or 
rather  one  head  broken  twice,  the  robbers,  whoever 
they  were,  would  doubtless  have  divided  the  money 
between  them,  and  the  old  man  would  never  know 
what  had  become  of  his  cherished  gold. 

Mr.  Ebenier  asked  himself  if  this  was  not  a  freak 
of  fortune  in  his  favor;  if  the  money  was  not  a 
providential  compensation  for  his  twice-broken  head. 
Thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  would  be  a 
very  handsome  atonement  for  two  such  raps  as  he 
had  received,  and  he  was  Mammon-worshipper  enough 
to  feel  willing  that  his  head  should  be  pounded  to 
a  jelly  at  this  rate,  so  long  as  the  germ  of  his  mighty 
intellect  was  not  extinguished. 

The  steward  was  a  man  of  exquisite  tastes,  and 
was  ambitious  for  social  recognition  and  distinction. 
In  Paris  a  colored  man  was  just  as  good  as,  if  not  a 
little  better  than,  a  white  man.  His  former  master, 
in  Louisiana,  had  believed  in  Paris,  and  seeing  with 
his  eyes,  he  had  been  fully  converted  to  his  master's 
faith.  Mr.  Ebenier  wanted  to  go  to  Paris,  wanted 
to  live  there,  even  as  a  waiter  in  a  cafe,  if  no  bet- 
ter situation  presented  itself.     With  the  money  before 


156  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

him,  he  could  realize  his  dream  of  luxury  and  splen- 
dor. He  could  convert  these  half  eagles  into  napo- 
leons, and  revel  like  a  prince  in  the  gay  metropolis 
of  France.  He  would  wear  the  finest  of  broadcloth, 
eat  the  most  sumptuous  of  dinners,  and  saunter  up 
and  down  the  Champs  Elysees  like  a  gentleman.  In 
short,  thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  or  nearly 
twenty  thousand  francs  in  the  currency  of  France, 
would  make  a  gentleman   of  him. 

Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  was  sorely  tempted.  It 
might  be  only  once  in  his  lifetime  that  such  a  chance 
to  be  a  gentleman  would  be  presented  to  him.  He 
could  put  the  gold  into  his  carj)et-bag,  walk  over  to 
Gloucester,  and  take  the  first  train  for  Boston.  No 
one  would  know  what  had  become  of  him ;  or,  if  they 
did,  he  would  not  be  suspected  of  having  the  gold. 
But  he  would  be  missed,  and  his  absence  might  cause 
a  commotion.  It  would  be  better  not  to  leave  at 
present.  The  money  could  be  concealed  on  board  of 
the  yacht,  and  when  he  was  disposed  to  abandon  the 
vessel  it  would  be  within  his  reach. 

After  more  reflection  on  this  important  matter,  the 
steward  became  convinced  that  it  would  be  safer  and 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  157 

better  to  hide  the  gold  on  board.  At  the  stern  of 
the  vessel,  under  the  standing-room,  there  was  a  sj:>ace 
not  available  for  cabin  use,  which  formed  a  kind  of 
store-room  for  extra  supplies.  It  was  reached  by  re- 
moving the  cabin  steps.  The  tempted  man  entered 
this  contracted  and  low  aj:>artment  with  the  lamp  in 
his  hand.  He  found  a  narrow  aperture,  which  led  to 
the  space  under  the  cabin  floor,  where  the  ballast  was 
deposited,  and  over  which  a  board  had  been  nailed 
to  prevent  the  odor  of  bilge  water  from  penetrating 
the  apartment  of  the  passengers.  He  removed  this 
board,  and  reaching  clown  into  the  hold,  placed  the 
bags  in  a  position  where  they  were  not  likely  to  be 
discovered,  even  by  a  person  searching  for  them. 
Nailing  on  the  board  again,  he  covered  it  with  various 
articles,  and  returned  to  the  cabin. 

On  the  table  lay  a  Bible,  which  the  steward  occa- 
sionally read.  Though  it  was  now  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  he  was  not  sleepy;  he  was  too  much 
excited  to  think  of  slumber.  He  opened  the  good 
book  mechanically,  turned  its  leaves,  and  read  a  verse 
here  and  there;  but  he  was  thinking  all  the  time  of 
the  luxurious  gayety  of  the  French  capital,  and  the 


158  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

pleasures  which  thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
would  purchase. 

"  For  what  is  a  man  profited  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul?" 

This  was  the  last  verse  he  read,  and  he  closed  the 
book,  as  though  this  appeal  of  Holy  Writ  grated 
harshly  on  his  feelings. 

"Lose  his  own  soul,"  repeated  he,  almost  in  spite 
of  himself. 

He  tried  to  think  of  the  Boulevards  and  the  gar- 
dens of  the  Tuileries  again ;  but  "  lose  his  own  soul " 
came  up  to  his  lips  still,  as  though  some  invisible 
power  compelled  him  to  whisper  the  impressive  sen- 
tence. He  attempted  to  whistle,  and  then  to  sing  an 
air ;  but  "  lose  his  own  soul "  came  up  to  his-  lips, 
and  he  could  not  help  whispering  the  sentence  again. 

"This  money  don't  belong  to  me,"  said  he,  in  au- 
dible words.  "  I  am  not  the  happy  owner  of  this 
princely  sum.  Unto  but  few  is  it  appointed  to  be 
both  rich  and  good-looking,  and  I  am  not  of  the 
number.     I  must  be  contented  with  my  good  looks." 

It  was  no  use  to  say  it ;  he  did  not  mean  it,  and 
the   idea   of  Paris   and   its  luxuries  still  haunted  his 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  159 

imagination.  He  turned  in,  but  it  was  only  to  think 
what  thirty-eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  would 
purchase ;  and  "  lose  his  own  soul "  not  only  came 
to  his  lips,  but  the  solemn  sentence  seemed  to  be 
printed,  in  sombre-hued  capitals,  all  over  the  cabin. 
He  went  to  sleep  at  last;  but  "lose  his  own  soul" 
followed  him  into  his  dreams,  yelled  in  the  distance 
and  muttered  in  his  ears  by  grinning  demons,  such  as 
those  with  which  his  fancy  peopled  the  realms  of  the 
lost.  But  he  slumbered  uneasily  till  the  sun  was  far 
up  on  his  day-journey.  When  he  went  on  deck,  he 
saw  The  Starry  Flag,  Jr.  almost  alongside.  Caj)tain 
Fairfield  and  the  four  seamen  came  on  board. 

The  young  skipper  announced  that  the  trip  to  the 
eastward,  which  had  been  postponed  from  the  day 
before,  would  be  commenced  at  once,  and  the  party 
would  be  on  board  at  eight  o'clock.  The  steward 
had  enough  to  do  to  keep  his  hands,  if  not  his  mind, 
engaged  in  making  preparations  for  the  occupants  of 
the  cabin.  At  the  time  appointed  the  party  came  on 
board,  and  the  yacht  sailed  on  her  cruise. 

Our  story  need  not  follow  them  during  the  ten 
days  to  which  the  trip  was  prolonged.     It  is  enough 


160  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

to  say  that  the  party  enjoyed  every  moment  of  the 
time.  Even  Mrs.  Watson,  who  had  no  taste  for  the 
sea,  was  delighted ;  for  Levi,  at  her  request,  was  care- 
ful to  bring  the  yacht  to  anchor  in  smooth  water 
every  night,  and  to  stay  in  j^ort  when  the  sea  was 
very  rough. 

During  those  ten  days  Mr.  Ebenier  considered  and 
reconsidered,  and  then  considered  again,  what  he 
should  do  with  the  money  that  had  so  strangely  come 
into  his  possession.  He  was  disj)Osed  to  use  it;  but 
the  gospel  sentence  thundered  in  his  ears,  and  trem- 
bled upon  his  lips,  and  rolled  like  the  chariot  of  an 
avenger  through  his  mind.  Once  or  twice  he  was  on 
the  jDoint  of  telling  the  captain  all  about  the  gold, 
but  the  vision  of  Parisian  luxury  checked  him. 

When  the  yacht  entered  Sandy  Bay,  the  Caribbee 
lay  anchored  off  the  Point,  and  The  Starry  Flag 
moored  a  couple  of  cables'  length  from  her. 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  161 


CHAPTER  XV. 


ANOTHER   LITTLE    PLAN. 


WHEN  The  Starry  Flag  returned  from  her 
pleasant  excursion  to  the  eastward,  31r.  Fair- 
field had  so  far  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  fall 
as  to  be  out,  and  to  be  making  his  preparations  again 
to  catch  dog-fish.  It  seemed  to  him  to  be  absolutely 
necessary  that  he  should  make  some  more  money. 
He  felt  like  a  poor  man,  and  his  stocks  and  bonds, 
notes  and  mortgages,  afforded  him  but  little  comfort. 
His  heart  seemed  to  have  been  lost  with  the  four 
thousand  in  gold. 

When  the  yacht  made  her  moorings,  the  old  man 
was  at  the  landing-place,  getting  ready  to  go  dog- 
fishing  the  next  day.  His  bones  still  ached,  and 
nothing  but  bitter  necessity  could  have  induced  one 
so  feeble  as  he  was  to  think  of  going  off  in  a  dory, 
miles  from  the  shore,  braving  the  perils  of  ocv:m  and 
11 


162  FKEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

storm.  He  believed  that  poverty  and  want  stared 
him  in  the  face,  and  that  he  must  go  to  the  poor- 
house  if  he  did  not  make  an  effort  to  retrieve  his 
great  misfortune. 

Dock  Vincent  was  never  far  off  when  a  vessel  came 
into  port ;  and,  though  he  was  very  busy  in  making 
the  preparations  for  his  departure,  he  hastened  down 
to  the  Point  when  The  Starry  Flag  hove  in  sight. 

"That's  Levi's  vessel,  Squire  Fairfield,"  said  he. 

"I  s'pose  'tis,"  replied  the  old  man,  casting  an  in- 
different glance  to  seaward. 

"I  sold  my  house  to-day,  Squire  Fairfield,"  con- 
tinued Dock,  seating  himself  by  the  shore. 

"Did  ye?     What  d'ye  git  for't?" 

"Fifteen  hundred  dollars.  It  was  worth  two  thou- 
sand;  but,  as  I'm  going  to  Australia  right  off,  I 
couldn't  afford  to  hold  it  for  a  better  price." 

"You'll  have  a  good  deal  of  money  to  kerry  off 
with   you." 

"Not  much.  I  paid  six  thousand  for  that  vessel, 
and  she's  dog-cheap  at  that;  but  I  shall  make  my 
fortune  in  her,  carrying  passengers." 

"I   hope    you  will,   for   you've    done  well   by  me, 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WORLD.  163 


though  you  didn't  find  my  money;"  and  the  old 
man  sighed  heavily.  "I  reckon  I  shall  never  see 
nothin'  more  on't." 

"  I'm  afraid  you  never  will,  Squire  Fairfield.  That 
nigger  lied  so  like  all  possessed  that  Levi  got  clear, 
and  then  we  couldn't  do  anything.  I'm  afraid  it's 
too  late  to  do  anything  more.  I  calculate  that  nig- 
ger and  Levi  understand  one  another  pretty  well. 
They  fixed  things  between  them,  and  I'm  just  as  sure 
as  I  can  be  that  your  money  went  off  in  that  vessel." 

"In  the  yack?" 

"  Yes,  in  the  yacht,"  replied  Dock,  warmly.  "  It 
was  stowed  away  somewhere  in  her;  but  I  suppose 
they  have  got  rid  of  it  by  this  time." 

"You  think  I  shan't  never  see  it  again,"  groaned 
the  old  man,  with  a  piteous  expression  on  his  thin 
face. 

"I'm  sorry  to  say  I  don't  think  you  ever  will, 
Squire  Fairfield." 

"  Then  I'm  a  ruined  man !  I  can't  afford  to  lose 
four  thousand  dollars.  It  was  e'enamost  all  I  had, 
and  I  don't  see  but  I  must  go  to  the  poorhouse." 

Dock  Vincent  took   off  his    hat,  rubbed  his   head, 


164  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

gazed  upon  the  ground,  and  seemed  to  be  in  deep 
thought  for  several  minutes.  So  was  the  miser  in 
deep  thought  —  brooding  over  his  lost  treasure. 

"  Squire  Fairfield,  when  I  begin  to  do  a  thing  I 
always  do  it,  sooner  or  later,"  said  Dock,  glancing 
doubtfully  at  the  old  man. 

"You  didn't  find  my  money,"  added  Mr.  Fairfield. 

"  ~No ;  but  I'm  going  to  find  it,  or  some  more  just 
like  it.  Squire  Fairfield,  I  can  put  you  in  the  way 
of  making  tv/enty  thousand  dollars  just  as  easy  as 
you  lost  that  four  thousand." 

"  You  don't  say !  "  exclaimed  the  old  man,  his  sunk- 
en eyes  glowing  at  the  suggestion. 

"I  can;  there  isn't  any  doubt  about  it." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  steal  it  —  do  you  ?  " 

"Steal  it!  You  don't  think  I'd  steal  — do  you? 
If  you  do,  I  won't  say  anything  more  about  my 
little  plan." 

Another  little  plan ! 

"  Well,  no ;  I  never  know'd  you  to  steal  nothin'." 

"  Twenty  thousand  dollars  is  a  good  deal  of 
money,  Squire  Fairfield." 

"  So  'tis  —  more  'n  I  ever  expect  to  see." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  165 

"  But  you  shall  see  it,  and  have  it,  if  you  will  take 
hold  of  my  little  plan." 

"  Whatv  is't  ? "  asked  the  old  man,  curiously  and 
eagerly. 

"It's  something  we  must  keejD*  still  about.  I'm 
going  to  make  my  fortune  out  of  it,  and  yours  too." 

"  What  do  you  want  to  keej)  still  for,  ef  you  ain't 
go'n'  to  steal  it  ?  " 

"I  see  it's  no  use  to  talk  with  you,"  said  Dock, 
petulantly.  "If  you  think  I'd  steal,  I  can't  depend 
upon  you,  or  you  upon  me.  So  there's  an  end  of 
it." 

Dock  rose  from  his  seat,  looked  at  The  Starry 
Flag,  which  was  just  coming  to  anchor,  and  then 
began  to  walk  up  the  Point ;  but  he  expected  to  be 
called  back,  and  he  was  not  disappointed. 

"  Why  don't  you  tell  me  on't,  so  I  can  know  what 
you're  go'n'  to  do?"  demanded  the  miser. 

"I  shall  not  say  anything  to  you.  I  don't  think 
I  can  trust  you.  The  business  isn't  all  regular;  but 
it  isn't  stealing,"  protested  Dock. 

"  You  can  trust  me,  Cap'n  Vincent,  jest  as  long  as 
you   can  trust   anybody.      You   know  I  never   says 


166  FEEAKS    OP   FOETUNE,   OE 

nothin'   to    nobody   about    business.      I    allers  keeps 
things  to  myself,"  whined  Mr.  Fairfield. 

"Will  you  keep  this  to  yourself?" 

"Sartin,  I  will." 

"  'Pon  honor  ?  "  "added  Dock,  earnestly. 

"Yes;  'pon  honor.  Nobody  ever  knowed  me  to 
say  nothin'  about  business.  I  never  trust  nobody, 
not  even  my  wife,  with  business  matters." 
.  "  Sit  down,  squire,  and  we'll  talk  it  over  between 
us,"  replied  Dock,  apparently  satisfied  with  the  old 
man's  promise. 

Mr.  Fairfield,  with  some  difficulty,  seated  himself 
on  the  rock,  and  with  glaring  eyes  —  so  interested 
was  he  in  a  project  which  was  to  put  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  his  pocket  —  he  listened  to  the  rather 
prolix  explanations  of  his  companion.  For  twenty 
thousand  dollars  he  would  have  sold  his  soul ;  but  he 
was  timid. 

« I  never  fail  in  doing  a  thing  without  wanting  to 
try  it  over  again,"  Dock  began.  "I  always  put 
things  through  when  I  begin  upon  them." 

The  old  man  was  not  quite  sure  of  this,  but  he 
did  not  interrupt  the  speaker. 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  167 

"Three  years  ago  twenty  thousand  dollars  slipped 
through  my  fingers  just  as  easy  as  though  the  money 
had  been  greased,"  continued  Dock. 

"I  didn't  know  on't," 

"Yes,  you  did.  Watson  had  his  money  all  ready 
to  pay  over  to  me  when  I  had  the  girl  before,  and 
if  Levi  Fairfield  hadn't  come  between  me  and  him,  I 
should  have  had  the  money.  Now,  Squire  Fairfield, 
I'm  going  to  try  that  over  again ;  and  I'm  not  going 
to  fail  this  time.  I've  got  things  fixed  so  that  I 
can't  fail." 

"I   donno  about  that,"  said   the  old  man. 

"I  know,  and  I'm  just  as  certain  about  it  as 
though  the  thing  was.  done  already.  But  I'm  not 
going  to  tell  you  anything  more  about  it  than  I'm 
obliged  to,  and  then  you  won't  know  anything  about 
it,  and  can't  be  held  responsible  for  it." 

"I  don't  see  how  I'm  go'n'  to  make  any  money 
by  it,"  interposed  the  miser,  who  was  more  interested 
in  this  part  of  the  plan  than  any  other. 

"Don't  you,  squire?  How  much  money  do  you 
suppose  Watson's  worth?" 

"I  donno." 


168  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OE 

"More  than  a  million!  I  know  that  to  be  a  fact; 
and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  was  worth  two  millions : 
folks  in  Boston  think  he  is." 

"He's  spendin'  on't  all  on  yacks  and  sech  things." 

"What  that  yacht  cost  to  him  is  no  more  than  a 
copper  to  you  and  me.  He  don't  mind  a  hundred 
thousand  dollars  any  more  than  you  would  half  a 
cent." 

Not  so  much! 

"But  he  don't  believe  in  throwin'  on't  away." 

"I'm  going  to  bleed  him  just  seventy  thousand 
dollars  —  fifty  thousand  for  myself,  and  twenty  thou- 
sand for  you." 

"  I  don't  see  how  it's  go'n'  to  be  done." 

"  He  shall  -pay  the  money  over  to  you ;  that's  what 
I  wan t^  you  for." 

"  Then  they'll  ketch  me,  and  put  me  in  jail,"  sug- 
gested the  old  man,  timorously. 

"  Nonsense  !  They  won't  do  it.  The  whole  mat- 
ter will  be  between  you  and  Watson.  You  won't 
know  anything  about  the  business  —  not  a  thing.  All 
you've  got  to  do  is  to  take  the  money  and  keep  it 
till  I  call   for   it.      After  the  girl  has  been  gone  a 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  169 

month  or  two,  he  will  be  glad  to  give  you  twice  as 
much  as  I  ask.  I  shall  get  her  aboard  the  Carib- 
bee." 

"How  you  go'n'  to  do  it?  She  won't  go  with 
you,  any  more  'n  she'll  go  with  the  evil  sperit." 

"  I'll  take  care  of  that.  You  are  to  know  nothing 
about  it.  I  shall  leave  things  so  that  Mr.  Watson 
will  go  to  you,  and  offer  to  pay  the  money  without 
your  saying  a  word  about  it  beforehand.  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  keep  what  he  gives  you  till  I  call 
for  it." 

"I  donno  about  it." 

"It's  all  right.  We  shan't  hurt  the  girl.  She 
shall  have  a  good  state-room,  and  my  wife  will  be 
on  board  to  see  to  her.  I  tell  you  I'm  going  to 
have  this  thing  done  over  again." 
•  "Where's  Levi  go'n'  to  be  all  this  time  ?  He 
sticks  to  the  gal  all  the^time,  and  if  you  git  her  off, 
he'll  follow  you  way  round  the  world." 

"  He  won't  know  anything  about  it ;  besides,  I  cal- 
culate he'll  be  in  jail  for  stealing  your  money  before 
that  time." 

"You  don't  think  so!" 


170  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  Yes,  I  do ;  I'm  going  to  fix  that  nigger,  and  I'll 
bet  Levi  won't  have  his  wool  to  hold  on  to  much 
longer." 

"But  I  don't  understand  nothin'  about  this  busi- 
ness, Cap'n  Vincent,"  said  the  old  man,  doubtfully. 

"I  don't  want  you  to  understand  anything  about 
it.  It's  all  right  as  it  is.  When  the  money  comes, 
you  hold  on  to  it." 

"  Ain't  you  go'n'  off  to  Australia  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am." 

"Then  how  you  go'n'  to  git  the  money?" 

"Leave  all  that  to  me,"  replied  Dock,  impatiently. 
"  If  you  don't  know  anything,  you'll  keep  out  of 
trouble.  You  will  make  your  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars out  of  it,  and  that  ought  to  satisfy  you.  Now, 
Squire  Fairfield,  there's  only  just  one  thing  more  to 
be  done." 

"What's  that?"  • 

"  I'll  give  you  a  chance  to  make  another  ten  thou- 
sand, if  you  like." 

The  old  man's  eyes  brightened  again,  as  he  asked 
how  it  was  to  be  done. 

"I  find  I'm  going  to  be  a  little  short  fitting  out. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  171 

I'm  going  to  take  out  some  notions  to  sell  that  will 
pay  me  five  dollars  for  one ;  but  I  haven't  got  the 
money  to  do  it,"  continued  Dock. 

The  old  man's  chin  dropped,  and .  he  looked  sad 
and  sorrowful. 

"I  want  ten  thousand  dollars  more  than  I've  got. 
I  shall  make  forty  thousand  out  of  the  venture,  and 
I  can  afford  to  pay  a  heavy  interest.  I  will  give 
you  ten  thousand  for  the  use  of  ten  thousand." 

"  I  hain't  got  no  sech  money,"  protested  the  miser. 

"But  you   can  raise  it." 

"I  ain't  sure  of  ever  gittin'  on't  back." 

"Yes,  you  are.  You  will  lend  me  ten  thousand 
dollars,  and  then  take  twenty  thousand  out  of  my 
fifty  when  Watson  pays  it  over  to  you." 

"Perhaps  he  never'll  pay  it  over  to  me." 

"  You  may  be  sure  he  will.  If  he  don't,  he  never 
will  see  his  daughter  again.  He  will  be  glad  of  the 
chance  to  pay  it.  But  if  he  don't,  you  know,  you 
shall  have  my  note,  and  I  will  pay  it  as  soon  as  I've 
turned  my  notions." 

Mr.  Fairfield,  eager  as  he  was  to  make  the  ten 
thousand    dollars,  had  no  more  idea  then  of  letting 


172  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

the  sum  asked  for  pass  out  of  his  hands  than  he  had 
of  giving  away  that  amount.  It  was  not  his  style  to 
let  money  go  from  him  without  the  best  of  security. 
The  approach  of  a  boat  interrupted  Dock's  argument, 
and  the  old  man  promised  to  think  of  the  proposition. 

"I  shall  not  want  that  dory  any  more,  and  I'll 
give  it  to  you,  Squire  Fairfield,"  said  Dock,  hoping 
his  munificence  would  touch  the  money-lender's  heart, 
as  he  walked  away. 

"  I'm  much  obleeged  to  you ;  it  will  sarve  me 
a  good  turn,"  replied  Mr.  Fairfield. 

"  Think  over  my  offer,  and  I'll  see  you  again  soon," 
added  Dock,  as  he  passed  out  of  hearing. 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  173 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PISTOLS   FOR   TWO. 

IT  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
The  Starry  Flag  arrived  from  her  cruise.  Her 
passengers  were  immediately  landed;  and,  after  the 
vessel  had  been  put  in  order,  the  four  young  men 
who  lived  in  Rockport  were  permitted  to  go  on 
shore ;  and  the  cook  went  with  them,  intending  to 
return  in  the  evening  with  the  boat.  The  steward 
did  not  wish  to  visit  the  town,  and  remained  on 
board  as  ship-keeper. 

Mr.  Ebenier  was  so  polite  and  attentive  to  the 
wants  of  the  passengers,  and,  above  all,  used  such 
choice  language,  that  he  had  become  quite  a  favorite. 
Bessie,  who  had  made  considerable  progress  in  her 
French,  was  delighted  with  him,  as  well  because  he 
was  an  original  character,  as  because  he  anticipated 
all  her  wants.     She  talked  French  with  him;  indeed, 


174  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

all  except  Levi  used  the  "polite  language"  at  the 
table  to  a  great  extent.  The  steward  was  treated 
with  a  great  deal  of  consideration  by  all  the  occu- 
pants of  the  cabin.  This  was  what  he  most  desired, 
and  after  the  party  had  been  on  board  two  or  three 
days,  he  ceased  to  think  of  leaving  the  yacht  before 
the  close  of  the  season.  Such  a  friend  as  Mr.  "Wat- 
son was  worth  more  than  the  contents  of  the  three 
bags  concealed  in  the  vessel's  run. 

But  ever  since  he  had  placed  the  treasure  in  its 
hiding-place,  the  gospel  malediction,  "lose  his  own 
soul,"  had  been  thundering  in  his  ears.  The  tempta- 
tion was  a  strong  one ;  but  the  steward  had  thus  far 
been  an  honest  man,  and  the  present  seemed  to  be 
the  crisis  of  his  lifetime.  The  kindness  and  consid- 
eration of  the  captain  and  his  passengers  won  his 
heart,  and  he  had  determined  that  Levi,  in  the  words 
with  which  he  clothed  the  idea,  should  be  triumph- 
antly vindicated. 

Mr.  Ebenier  reasoned  that  his  captain  could  not  be 

vindicated    by  simply  returning    the  gold    to  the  old 

man,  his  uncle.      The  two  men  whom    he  had   failed 

•    to  identify  in  the   Hotel  de  Poisson  must  be  disco v- 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOELD.  175 

ered ;  and  he  determined  to  find  them,  if  it  were 
possible.  On  this  subject  he  had  some  views  of  his 
own,  and  he  concluded  to  let  the  gold  remain  where 
it  was  until  he  could  institute  an  investigation:  we 
use  the  gentleman's  own  words,  subsequently  uttered. 
The  steward  dared  not  leave  the  yacht  when  the 
others  went  on  shore.  If  he  had  not  recognized  the 
two  men,  they  had  probably  recognized  him.  They 
must  suppose  he  had  taken  possession  of  the  money, 
and  they  would  expect  to  find  it  if  an  opportunity 
to  search  the  yacht  was  afforded  to  them.  Mr.  Ebe- 
nier  did  not  intend  to  give  them  any  such  opportu- 
nity; therefore  he  remained  on  board.  He  went 
farther  than  this.  The  robbers  might  come  on  board 
while  he  was  there  alone,  overpower  him,  and  thus 
regain  their  plunder.  The  steward  kept  a  revolver 
in  his  carpet-bag;  for,  being  a  man  of  varying  for- 
tunes, he  was  liable  at  any  time  to  be  in  a  situa- 
tion to  need  such  a  weapon.  He  took  the  pistol  from 
the  bag,  loaded  it, .  and  put  it  into  his  j)ocket.  It 
was  his  duty,  as  ship-keeper,  to  defend  the  vessel  in 
the  absence  of  the  captain;  and  the  weapon  gave 
him  a  strong  assurance  of  safety. 


176  FKEAKS    OF    F0KTUNE,    OB 

From  his  house  Dock  Vincent  watched  the  move- 
ments of  the  crew  of  the  yacht.  Levi  and  five  men 
had  landed;  consequently  the  steward  must  be  on 
board  alone.  But  he  had  decided  to  pay  him  a  visit, 
whether  alone  or  not.  In  Dock's  classic  speech,  he 
was  "  going  to  fix  that  nigger,"  and  he  was  watching 
for  the  opportunity  to  do  the  "  fixing."  One  of  the 
Caribbee's  boats  was  at  the  landing,  and  as  soon  as 
the  crew  of  the  yacht  had  landed,  he  pulled  off  to 
her.  His  coming  was  not  unexpected,  and  Mr.  Ebe- 
nier,  in  spite  of  the  injuries  he  had  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  visitor,  was  as  smooth  and  polite  as 
though  his  temper  had  never  been  ruffled. 

"Steward,  I  want  to  talk  with  you  a  little  while," 
said  Dock,  as,  without  an  invitation,  he  stepped  upon 
the  deck  of  the  yacht. 

"Though  I  have  no  particular  inducements  to  con- 
descension, so  far  as  you  are  concerned,  I  am  willing, 
in  this  instance,  to  gratify  you,"  replied  Mr.  Ebenier, 
graciously. 

"  If  you  don't  object,  we  will  go  down  into  the  cabin, 
where  we  shall  not  be  interrupted,"  added  Dock. 

"  Though  it   is   not   customary  to   admit   any  but 


IIALF    ROUND    THE    V,  OCLD.  177 

gentlemen  into  the  cabin,  I  shall  be  happy  to  waive 
the  rule  in  this  instance,  as  all  our  people  are  on 
shore,"  answered  Mr.  Ebenier,  as  he  led  the  way  to 
the  cabin. 

Dock  Vincent  paid  no  attention  to  the  polished 
insults  of  the  steward,  but  seated  himself  on  a  stool, 
at  the  side  of  the  table.  Mr.  Ebenier  took  his  place 
oj^posite  the  guest. 

u  Now,  Captain  Dock  Vincent,  I  am  entirely  at 
your  service,"  said  the  steward. 

"It  won't  take  a  great  while  to  get  off  what  I 
want  to  say,"  Dock  began,  putting  a  very  uncompro- 
mising look  upon  his  ugly  face.  "  I  suppose  you 
know  the  old  man  that  lost  the  money." 

"  I  have  not  the  honor  to  be  personally  acquainted 
with  him,  but  I  am  informed  that  he  is  the  paternal 
uncle  of  Captain  Levi  Fairfield." 

"  That's  so ;  and  Levi  has  treated  him  in  the  most 
shabby  manner." 

"  Permit  me  to  interrupt  you,  Captain  Vincent,"  in- 
terposed the  steward.     "  It  would  not  be  possible  for 
Captain   Fairfield    to  treat   any  person    in    a   shabby 
manner,  certainly  not  his  own  uncle." 
12 


178  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  On  that  point  we  differ,  steward ;  but  let  me  say 
what  I  was  going  to  say." 

"Proceed,  Captain  Vincent.  I  simply  refuse  to 
indorse  your  statement,  and  I  j^rotest  against    it." 

"  All  this  is  neither  here  nor  there.  To  come  right 
down  to  the  p'int,  the  old  man  lost  four  thousand 
dollars  in  gold.  I'm  trying  to  help  him  find  it.  I 
know  just  as  well  as  I  know  anything,  that  Levi  stole 
that  money.  All  the  circumstances  go  to  show  that 
he  did,  letting  alone  the  fact  that  one  of  the  bags  was 
found  in  his  state-room." 

"Not  without  an  earnest  protest  can  I  permit  my 
worthy  captain  to  be  maligned  in  this  unjustifiable 
manner.  On  my  own  responsibility  I  declare  that 
your  statement   is  utterly  false." 

"I  am  satisfied  it's  just  as  I  say,"  persisted  Dock. 
"Now,  we'll  go  a  p'int  closer  to  the  wind.  I'm  al- 
most  certain  that  the  gold  Levi  stole  is  hid  aboard 
this  vessel." 

"And  you  wish  to  search  the  yacht  for  it?"  add- 
ed the  steward. 

"That's  just  my  idea,"  replied  Dock,  promptly. 

"Permitting   such  a  search  would  be  an  acknowl- 


HALF    BOUND    THE    WORLD.  179 

edgment,  on  my  part,  of  the  possibility  of  my  worthy 
captain's  guilt ;  therefore  I  cannot  suffer  such  an  in- 
vestigation to  be  instituted." 

"  Well,  steward,  whether  you  are  going  to  suffer  it 
or  not,  it's  going  to  be  done,"  said  Dock,  savagely. 
"  I  didn't  come  off  here,  this  time,  to  be  fooled  with.  I 
know  the  gold  's  on  board,  and  I'm  going  to  have  it." 

"You  know  it,"  repeated  the  steward,  calmly. 

"Yes,  I  know  it." 

"So  do  I,"  added  Augustus,  quietly. 

"You  do!"  exclaimed  Dock.  "I  knew  you  did! 
I've  been  satisfied  all  along  that  you  knew  all  about 
it,  and  that  you  was  helping  Levi  cover  up  his  guilt. 
I  suppose  he  was  going  to  give  you  something  for  it." 

"  One  of  your  statements,  namely,  that  the  money 
is  on  board  of  this  yacht,  is  assuredly  correct ;  but 
your  theory,  your  logic,  your  premises,  and  your  con- 
clusions are  undoubtedly  false  and  absurd,"  said  the 
steward,  a  cheerful  smile  playing  beneath  his  huge 
mustache. 

"Isn't  the  gold  here?"  demanded  Dock,  impa- 
tiently. 

"It  is." 


180  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"Then  quit  your  flabbergast,  and  talk  in  plain 
English.     Of  course  Levi  stole  it." 

"  Not  he  !  " 

"Who   did,  then?" 

"You  and  another  person.  Excuse  me,  Captain 
Yincent,  if  my  remarks  seem  too  personal;  but  I 
have  a  theory  of  my  own,  which,  with  your  permis- 
sion, I  will  unfold  to  you.  Have  a  glass  of  cold 
water,  sir?" 

The  steward  filled  a  tumbler  from  the  ice  pitcher, 
and  politely  tendered  it  to  the  guest. 

"No;  I  don't  want  any;  go  on  with  your  yarn," 
growled  Dock,  fourly,  for  he  desired  to  ascertain 
what  the  steward  knew. 

"We  need  use  no  undue  haste  in  our  delibera- 
tions," replied  Augustus,  as  he  drank  the  glass  of 
water. 

"Go  on,  and  don't  talk  any  flabbergast." 

"The  money  was  stolen  by  you  and  another  per- 
son." 

"Hunrph!     What  other  person?" 

"To  be  entirely  candid  with  you,  I  do  not  yet 
know  who  the  other  person  is;    but  a   certain   con- 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  181 

tirigent  event  will  expose  him."  He  referred  to  tho 
return  of  the  fishing  vessel,  with  Ben  Seaver,  who 
had  handed  him  the  bag.  "  You  and  the  other  per- 
son —  to  me  at  present  unknown  —  stole  the  money, 
and  concealed  it  in  the  Hotel  de  Poisson." 

"In  the  what?" 

"I  refer  to  the  fish-house,  which  was  consumed  in 
the  conflagration  of  ten  days  ago.  After  you  had 
knocked  me  down  by  hurling  a  stone  at  me  in  the 
basest  and  most  unchivalrous  manner,  on  my  recov- 
ery from  the  effects  of  the  blow,  I  went  to  the  fish- 
house  to  sleep,  being  too  late  to  return  on  board.  I 
was  in  the  loft  when  you  and  th^fcother  person  were 
below.  The  floor  broke,  and  It  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  precipitated  upon  you  and  your  companion  in 
infamy.  You  ran  away;  but  I  found  the  gold,  and 
brought  it  on  board.  This  is  my  theory,  Captain 
Dock  Vincent." 

"  This  is  all  a  lie  !  "  gasped  Dock,  putting  his  hand 
into  his  side  pocket. 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  is  all  the  sacred  truth." 

"See  here,  steward ;  you  can't  fool  me.  I  want 
that  money." 


182  FREAKS    OE    FORTUNE,    OR 

"  Allow  me  to  inform  you  that  you  cannot  have 
it.  In  due  time  it  shall  be  restored  to  the  rightful 
owner." 

"  I  can  and  will  have  it,"  said  Dock,  fiercely,  as  he 
took  a  revolver  from  his  pocket,  and  pointed  it  at 
the  head  of  the  steward. 

"  I  think  not,"  replied  Mr.  Ebenier,  producing  his 
revolver ;  and,  straightening  out  his  legs  under  the 
table,  he  threw  himself  into  an  attitude  as  impudent 
as  the  human  form  could  assume,  while  upon  his 
face  played  an  expression  of  smiling  assurance,  which 
took  the  ruffian  all  aback. 

Dock's  hand  trembled,  and  the  pistol  vibrated  in 
his  grasp,  as  he  looked  in  dismay  at  the  steward's 
weapon,  all  capped  and  cocked,  as  his  own  was  not 
—  a  circumstance  which  probably  helped  Mr.  Ebenier 
in  keeping  so  cool  and  self-possessed. 

"Why  don't  you  fire,  Captain  Dock  Vincent?" 
taunted  the  steward.  "  If  you  move  you  are  a  dead 
man ! " 

At  this  moment  a  boat  touched  the  side  of  the 
vessel ;  and  while  the  two  men  were  confronting  each 
other  as  described,  Levi  entered  the  cabin.     He  was 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  183 

startled  by  the  array  of  deadly  weapons  presented 
to  him  as  he  descended  the  steps ;  but  neither  Dock 
nor  the  steward  appeared  to  notice  him,  for  each  was 
afraid  the  other  would  fire  if  his  atl^ntion  was  for 
an  instant  diverted. 


184  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 


CHAPTER  XVIL 


THE    GOLD    RESTORED* 


LEVI  could  see  no  good  reason  why  Dock  Yin- 
cent  and  the  steward  of  the  yacht  should  bo 
such  deadly  enemies  as  to  draw  pistols  on  each  other. 
He  had  come  on  hoard  for  a  travelling  bag,  which 
Bessie  had  left  in  her  state-room,  and  he  was  not 
prepared  for  the  scene  that  met  his  view  in  the* 
cabin. 

"  What  are  you  about,  Augustus  ?  "  demanded  he. 

But  the  steward  was  obliged  to  attend  to  the  ugly 
customer  opposite  him  at  the  table,  and  he  made 
no  reply  —  a  piece  of  rudeness,  however,  which  he 
regretted  as  an  absolute  necessity. 

"  Captain  Dock  Vincent,  I  will  trouble  you  to  lay 
your  weapon  on  the  table,"  said  the  steward.  "If 
you  don't  do  it,  I  will  fire." 

Dock  did  it. 


HALF    ROUXD    THE    WOJRLD.  185 

"  Pardon  mo,  Captain  Fairfield,  for  my  rudeness  in 
not  replying  to  your  question,'*  continued  Augustus. 

"  I  asked  you  what  you  were  about,"  repeated  Levi. 

"  I  was  about  to  shoot  this  ruffian,  and  I  should 
have  done  so  if  I  had  not  happened  to  observe,  in 
good  time,  that  his  weapon  was  not  in  condition  to 
go  off." 

Dock  Vincent  rose  from  his  seat,  leaving  his  re- 
volver on  the  table.  Probably  he  had  not  expected 
to  use  it,  believing  the  sight  of  it  would  be  sufficient 
to  intimidate  the  steward,  and  induce  -him  to  give  up 
the  three  bags  of  gold.  He  looked  at  the  colored 
man,  then  at  Levi.  The  former  had  dropped  his  re- 
volver, seeing  which  the  ruffian  walked  towards  the 
cabin  door.  As  the  movement  was  not  opposed,  he 
ran  up  the  steps,  jumped  into  his  boat,  and  pulled 
for  the  Caribbee. 

Levi  again  impatiently  demanded  an  explanation 
of  the  scene  he  had  witnessed.  The  steward,  com- 
mencing back  at  the  day  of  the  examination,  related, 
in  his  prolix  and  grandiloquent  speech,  all  the  events 
in  which  he  had  been  the  chief  actor,  up  to  the  cur- 
rent incident  of  the  day.     He  did  not   confess  that 


186  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

ho  had  been  tempted  to  steal  the  money,  for  he  re- 
garded ^the  overcoming  of  the  temptation  as  a  suffi- 
cient virtue,  without  the  humiliation  of  exposing  his 
own  weakness. 

"  Then  the  gold  is  on  board  now ! "  exclaimed  the 
astonished  Levi. 

"Yes,  sir;  it  is  concealed  in  the  run,"  replied  Au- 
gustus. 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  of  all  this  before  ?  " 

"Because  I  wished  to  find  the  men  that  stole  the 
money.  I  thgught  I  could  do  it  better  alone  than 
I  could  with  the  constables,  or  anybody  else,"  an- 
swered Augustus ;  but  he  hung  his  head  as  he 
thought  of  the  dishonest  purpose  he  had  cherished. 

He  had  resisted  the  temptation,  but  his  conscience 
was  sensitive  enough  to  make  him  regret  that  he 
had  even  been  tempted  to  steal. 

Levi  was  thoughtful  and  troubled.  The  triumph- 
ant vindication  of  his  captain  which  the  steward  had 
promised  himself  to  bring  about  was  not  likely  to  be 
realized.  The  gold  was  on  board  of  the  yacht,  and 
could  be  restored  to  Mr.  Fairfield ;  but  the  vessel 
had  been    searched   for  it,   and    restoring   it  looked 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOliLD.  187 

more  like  confirming  the  vile  charge  against  him  than 
like  disproving  it.  Perhaps  it  would  be  better  for 
his  reputation  to  keep  the  money  until  the  return  of 
Ben  Seaver ;  but  Levi  could  not  believe  it  was  right 
to  retain  the  gold  even  a  single  day.  He  was  honest 
and  true,  and  he  determined  to  do  his  duty  before 
God  and  man,  letting  his  reputation  take  care  of  itself. 

He  directed  the  steward  to  bring  out  the  bags 
from  their  hiding-place.  The  name  on  the  tow-cloth, 
in  his  uncle's  cramped  writing,  assured  him  there 
could  be  no  mistake  in  regard  to  the  ownership. 
The  steward  told  him  there  was  thirty-eight  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  in  the  bags  —  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  less  than  the  sum  lost.  The  robbers 
had  j^robably  taken  out  one  hundred  dollars  for  pres- 
ent use,  and  fifty  for  the  snare  which  was  to  intrap 
the  captain  of  the  yacht.  One  of  the  bags  had  been 
emptied,  and  its  contents  distributed  among  the  other 
three. 

The  gold  was  transferred  to  the  boat,  the  cabin 
doors  and  forward  scuttles  were  locked,  and  Levi, 
accompanied  by  the  steward,  pulled  ashore,  and  land- 
ed at  Mr.  Watson's  house. 


188  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

The  exciting  story  of  the  recovery  of  the  money 
was  repeated,  and  the  young  skipper  declared  his  in- 
tention to  restore  the  bags  to  Mr.  Fairfield.  Mr. 
Watson  volunteered  to  go  with  him  on  this  inter- 
esting errand.  With  the  bags  in  his  hands,  Levi 
entered  the  kitchen,  where  his  uncle  was  seated,  fol- 
lowed by  his  constant  friend. 

"  There  is  your  money,  uncle  Nathan,"  said  he,  as 
he  placed  the  bags  on  the  table. 

"  What !  the  gold  ? "  demanded  the  miser,  with 
breathless  eagerness. 

"Yes,  sir,  the  gold,"  replied  Levi. 

"  All  of  it  ? "  gasped  the  old  man,  rising  from  his 
chair,  while  his  frame  trembled  under  the  excitement 
of  the  moment. 

"All  but  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars." 

"I  think  you  ought  to  give  me  back  the  whole 
on't,  Levi." 

"  Fifty  dollars  more  of  it  is  in  the  hands  of  Squire 
Saunders." 

"  But  then  there's  a  hund'ed  gone,"  added  the  old 
man,  as  he  clutched  the  bags,  and  raised  them  to 
test  their  weight. 


HALF    BOUND    THE    WOULD.  189 

"I  suppose  the  thieves  took  a  hundred  dollars  of 
the  money,"  said  Levi. 

"Who's  the  thieves?" 

"  I  don't  know  who  they  are ;  but  I  think  they 
will  be  discovered  in  due  time.  The  steward  of  the 
yacht  found  these  bags  in  the  old  fish-house  that  was 
burned." 

Mr.  Watson  and  Levi  had  agreed  that  the  ends 
of  justice  would  best  be  answered  by  saying  no  more 
than  this  at  present.  Both  of  them  were  satisfied 
that  Dock  Vincent  was  one  of  the  robbers,  but  un- 
fortunately there  was  no  evidence  that  connected  him 
with  the  crime.  Though  he  had  gone  on  board  the 
yacht,  and  demanded  the  gold  of  the  steward,  he 
had  clone  so  in  the  name  of  the  owner ;  and  the  act 
was  consistent  with  his  j)osition  as  the  agent  of  Mr. 
Fairfield. 

The  old  man  asked  a  great  many  questions,  but  he 
obtained  only  the  facts ;  all  theories  and  suspicions 
were  suppressed.  Mr.  Watson  had  sent  the  steward 
for  Mr.  Gayles,  and  before  they  left  the  miser's  house 
he  arrived;  and  the  party  proposed  to  visit  the  fish- 
house,  and  examine  the  premises,  in  search  of  any 
evidence  that  might  be  obtained. 


190  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUKE,   OE 

Though  Mr.  Fairfield  was  overjoyed  to  find  his 
gold,  his  satisfaction  did  not  prevent  him  from  growl- 
ing sorely  at  the  loss  of  the  hundred  dollars.  He  in- 
sisted that  Levi  ought  to  make  it  up  to  him.  He 
followed  the  party  out  of  the  house,  and  would  have 
gone  to  the  ruins  of  the  Hotel  de  Poisson  with  them, 
if  Dock  Vincent,  who  had  just  landed,  had  not  joined 
him. 

The  steward  told  his  story  over  again ;  and  the 
metallic  parts  of  the  lantern,  which  still  remained 
there,  were  a  partial  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  it. 
Mr.  Gayles  took  possession  of  these  pieces,  hoping  to 
be  able  to  prove  something  by  them.  While  they 
were  still  discussing  the  matter,  Dock  Vincent  and 
Mr.  Fairfield  joined  them. 

"  If  you  make  up  that  hund'ed  dollars,  Levi,  I 
won't  say  nothin'  -  more  about  it,"  whined  the  old 
man. 

"I  shall  not  do  so,  uncle  Nathan,"  replied  Levi. 

"  Certainly  not,"  added  Mr.  Watson. 

"  He  ought  to  do  it,"  interposed  Dock.  "  He  stole 
the  money,  and  the  least  he  can  do  is  to  give  it  all 
back." 


HALF   BOUND    THE    WOULD.  191 

"I  do  not  wish  to  hold  any  conversation  with 
you  on  the  subject,"  answered  the  merchant,  coldly. 

"I  suppose  you  don't,"  sneered  Dock.  "It  has  all 
turned  out  just  as  I  said  it  would.  Levi  stole  the 
money,  and  got  that  black  steward  to  help  him  when 
he  was  like  to  be  found  out.  I  knew,  all  the  time, 
that  money  was  on  board  the  yacht;  and  Squire 
Fairfield  may  thank  me  for  getting  it  for  him.  I 
made  the  steward  own  up  that  the  gold  was  on 
board;  and  after  that  Levi  didn't  dare  to  keep  it 
any  longer.  I  suppose  you  don't  want  to  say  any- 
thing more  about  it  after  that." 

"Not  to  you,"  added  Mr.  Watson,  as  he  walked 
away,  followed  by  his  companions. 

"There,  Squire  Fairfield,  you  can  see  them  sneak- 
ing off  like  sheep-stealers,"  said  Dock.  "It's  just  as 
I  tell  you,  you  may  depend  upon  it;  and  if  Levi 
don't  make  up  that  hundred,  I  should  put  him 
through  a  course  of  sprouts." 

"He  ought  to  gim  me  the  whole  of  the  money," 
replied  Mr.  Fairfield,  who  accepted  Dock's  explana- 
tion in  regard  to  the  recovery  of  the  gold. 

"I  reckon  you'll  get  it  yet.     But,  Squire  Fairfield, 


192  FEEAKS    OF    FOETUNE,    OR 

I  expect  I  shall  get  off  in  two  or  three  clays  now, 
and  I  want  that  money  I  spoke  to  you  about,"  add- 
ed Dock,  as  they  walked  towards  the  road.  "I  am 
going  to  sail  for  "New  York  first,  buy  the  goods 
there,  and  then  go  to  Australia.  You  are  going  to 
make  thirty  thousand  dollars  out  of  me,  and  you  can 
afford  to  accommodate  me  a  little.  I  exj)ect  you 
will  get  the  whole  thirty  thousand  before  I  sail  from 
New  York;  I  know  you  will." 

Dock  talked  half  of  that  night  to  the  old  man, 
and  finally  persuaded  him  to  raise  the  sum  he  re- 
quired. The  gold  which  had  been  restored  to  him 
made  up  a  large  portion  of  it,  and  the  next  day  he 
obtained  the  rest.  The  emigrant  had  sold  his  house, 
and  disposed  of  his  furniture  to  the  buyer,  who  was 
to  have  possession  as  soon  as  Dock  sailed. 

While  Mr.  Fairfield  and  his  villanous  companion 
were  discussing  the  loan,  Mr.  Gayles  called  at  Dock's 
house,  after  dark,  to  borrow  a  lantern,  having  ascer- 
tained that  he  had  recently  purchased  one  at  a  store 
in  town. 

"We  haven't  any  lantern  now,"  replied  Mrs.  Yin- 
cent. 


HALF   ROUXD    THE    WORLD.  193 

"I  thought  you  had  one.  Captain  Vincent  bought 
one  not  long  ago,"  added  the   constable. 

"  Well,  he  hasn't  any  now.  I'm  sure  I  don't  know 
what's  become  of  it.  It  may  be  he  left  it  on  board 
of  the  vessel.  He  never  said  what  had  become 
of  it." 

"Without  having  proved  the  fact,  Mr.  Gayles  was 
satisfied  that  Dock's  lantern  was  the  one  broken  by 
the  steward  when  he  fell  from  the  loft  of  the  fish- 
house.  The  parts  he  had  taken  from  the  ruins  cor- 
responded, in  size  and  form,  with  one  which  the 
shopkeeper  declared  was  like  that  he  had  sold  Dock. 
The  constable  worked  hard  to  obtain  evidence  enough 
to  warrant  the  arrest  of  Dock  before  he  sailed  for 
Australia ;  but  Squire  Cleaves  declared  that  the  lan- 
tern was  not  sufficient. 

On  the  day  after  Dock  obtained  the  money  from 
Mr.  Fairfield,  he  moved  his  family  on  board  of  the 
Caribbee,  which  had  already  cleared  at  the  custom- 
house. Mr.  Gayles  was  alarmed  lest  he  should  escape, 
and  hastened  to  Squire  Cleaves  for  advice. 

"  We    must    not    let    him    go,"    said    the    lawyer. 
"Where  is  that  colored  man,  Mr.  Ebenier?" 
13 


194  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"I  saw  him  at  Mr.  Watson's  house  ten  minutes 
ago." 

"  Bring  him  to  me." 

The  steward  was  brought  to  him,  and  he  was  in- 
duced to  make  a  charge  against  Dock  of  assault  and 
battery.  A  warrant  was  obtained,  and  Mr.  Gayles, 
with  a  sufficient  posse,  went  to  the  Caribbee  to  arrest 
him.  His  wife,  and  a  man  whose  name  was  not 
known,  but  who  was  said  to  be  a  passenger  in  the 
schooner,  declared  that  he  had  gone  to  New  York 
on  Jbusiness,  and  the  vessel  would  not  sail  till  his 
return.  Certainly  Dock  was  not  on  board,  and  it 
was  ascertained  at  the  depot  that  he  had  taken  the 
train  for  Boston. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  195 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


MAT   MOGMORE. 


MR.  GAYLES  watched  the  Caribbee  night  and 
day;  but  he  saw  nothing  of  Dock  Vincent. 
Mr.  Fairfield  said  his  neighbor  and  friend  had  in- 
formed him,  several  days  before,  of  his  intention  to 
go  to  New  York.  The  constable  was  forced  to 
believe  that  the  people  on  board  his  vessel  had  told 
the  truth,  and  he  could  only  wait  for  his  return.  Of 
course  the  Caribbee  would  not  sail  on  her  long  voy- 
age without  him,  and  there  seemed  to  be  but  little 
danger  of  losing  his  man. 

The  only  strange  circumstance  was,  that  Dock  had 
sent  his  family  on  board  of  the  vessel ;  but  he  had 
not  much  consideration  for  his  wife  and  children,  and 
would  not  scruple  to  add  a  week  of  confinement  to 
the  three  or  four  months'  duration  of  the  proposed 
voyage.     The  man  on  board,  who  was  said   to  be  a 


196  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

passenger,  and  was  a  stranger  in  Rockport,  appeared 
to  take  a 'lively  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  vessel 
and  her  owner.  It  was  surmised  that,  as  Dock  was 
not  a  skilful  navigator,  he  had  been  employed  to 
furnish  the  science  for  the  vessel.  Neither  he  nor 
any  one  on  board  professed  to  know  when  Dock 
would  return,  or  when  the  Caribbee  would  sail. 

On  Monday  evening,  when  Dock  had  been  gone 
three  days,  Levi  had  taken  tea  at  Mr.  Watson's,  and 
was  reading  the  daily  paper,  which  the  merchant  had 
brought  from  Boston. 

"That's  too  bad!"  suddenly  exclaimed  the  young 
skipper,  dropping  the  paper,  and  looking  at  Bessie. 

"What's  too  bad,  Levi?"  she  asked. 

"  There's  to  be  a  yacht  race  in  Portland  harbor  to- 
morrow, at  eleven  o'clock,  to  sail  for  a  silver  pitcher." 

"I  do  not  see  anything  wicked  in  that,"  laughed 
Bessie. 

"  Nor  I ;  but  it  is  wicked  that  I  did  not  know  of 
it  before.  I  am  sure  The  Starry  Flag  will  beat  any- 
thing of  her  size  this  side  of  New  York ;  and  I  am 
provoked  to  think  I  did  not  know  of  this  race  sooner, 
for  a  silver  pitcher  would  be  a  very  handsome  orna- 
ment for  our  cabin." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  .  197 

"Is  it  too  late  now?"  asked  Mr.  Watson. 

"  The  race  comes  off  at  eleven,  to-morrow  forenoon, 
and  five  yachts  have  already  entered,"  answered  Levi, 
glancing  at  the  paper  again. 

"Well,  haven't  you  time  to  sail  down  there  before 
the  race?" 

"  If  we  sail  to-night  we  have  time  enough.  We 
can  get  there  in  ten  hours  with  a  good  breeze ;  with 
a  stiff  one,  in  six,"  replied  Levi,  beginning  to  be  ex- 
cited. 

"  How  is  the  wind  now  ?  " 

"  About  west  —  a  six-knot  breeze." 

"  Let  us  start  at  once,  then.  I  had  as  lief  sleep 
on  board  the  yacht  as  on  shore,"  said  Mr.  Watson. 

"  O,  do  go  ! "  exclaimed  Bessie. 

"  Do  go  ! "  repeated  Mr.  Watson,  laughing.  "  Do 
you  expect  to  sail  in  a  regatta,  Bessie  ? " 

"  To  be  sure  I  do !  I  must  go,  father !  I  have 
been  longing,  ever  since  we  had  the  yacht,  to  sail  in 
a  real  live  race." 

"But,  Bessie,  we  must  make  a  night  run  to  Port- 
land." 

"So  much  the  better!      I  shall  enjoy  it  above  all 


198  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OE 

things.  My  state-room  on  board  is  just  as  good  as 
my  chamber  up  stairs,  and  I  like  it  better." 

"  Your  aunt  Mary  is  sick,  and  cannot  go  with  you," 
suggested  her  father,  alluding  to  Mrs.  McGilvery. 

"But  you  are  going,  father,"  persisted  Bessie. 

"True,  I  am;  but  —  " 

"Do  let  me  go,  father." 

"I  suppose  you  must  go  if  you  insist  upon  it." 

"I  do  insist  with  all  my  might!"  exclaimed  Bes- 
sie, delighted  with  the  prospect. 

"  It  will  take  us  a  couple  of  hours  to  get  ready," 
said  Levi,  as  he  looked  at  his  watch;  "but  we  can 
get  off  by  ten  o'clock.  The  only  difficulty  I  can  see 
is,  that  yachts  must  be  entered  on  the  day  before  the 
race ; "  and  he  jacked  up  the  news]3aper  again. 

"We  must  get  over  that  somehow,"  replied  Mr. 
"Watson,  who  seemed  to  be  quite  as  much  interested 
as  Levi  and  his  daughter. 

"How?  With  the  best  breeze  we  can  expect,  we 
can  hardly  reach  Portland  before  six  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

"  While  you  are  getting  the  yacht  ready,  I  will  ride 
over  to  Gloucester,  and  telegraph  to  a  friend  of  mine 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WOULD.  199 

in  Portland,  who  will  have  The  Starry  Flag  entered 
to-nio-ht." 

o 

"  That  will  do  it  splendidly !  "  exclaimed  Bessie, 
delighted  to  have  the  obstacle  removed. 

"  The  cook  and  steward  are  on  board,  but  the 
hands  are  all  at  home,"  said  Levi.  "I  will  go  and 
find  them." 

Mr.  Watson  rang  ■  the  bell,  and  ordered  the  horse 
and  buggy.  Bessie  went  to  her  room  to  prepare  for 
the  cruise,  and  Levi  hastened  over  to  Mr.  Mogmore's 
house,  where  he  found  Mat,  whom  he  sent  to  look 
up  the  other  three  hands.  The  young  skipper  pulled 
off  to  the  yacht.  The  water  tanks  were  examined, 
and  found  to  contain  a  week's  supply  at  least.  The 
steward  was  sent  on  shore,  with  directions  to  bring 
off  the  men,  and  a  stock  of  ice  and  fresh  j^rovisions, 
after  he  had  put  the  two  state-rooms  in  order. 

By  the  time  Augustus  had  procured  his  steak, 
cho23S,  butter,  milk,  and  ice,  the  four  hands  had  as- 
sembled at  the  landing-place,  in  readiness  to  go  on 
board. 

"  Hurry  up,  now ! "  said  the  steward.  "  Captain 
Fairfield  is  waiting  for  us." 


'200  FEEAXS    OF   FOIITUNE,    OR 

"  There  !  "  exclaimed  Mat  Mogmore,  "  I  have  for- 
gotten one  thing.  The  captain  told  me  to  see  Mr. 
Gayles,  and  tell  him  the  yacht  was  going  to  Port- 
land;    and  I  did  not  think  of  it  till  this  minute." 

"We  can't  wait  for  you,"  replied  the  steward,  im- 
patiently. 

"You  needn't  wait.  I  will  get  some  one  to  put 
me  on  board.  Go  ahead!"  And  Mat  ran  up  the 
rocks,  and  hastened  towards  Mr.  Gayles's  house. 

But   he  hurried  only  a  moment,  till  the    darkness 

concealed  his  form  from  his  shipmates.      Instead  of 

* 
going  up  to  the  town,  he  returned  to  the  landing- 
place  as  soon  as  the  boat  had  left.  While  he  stood 
on  the  rocks,  the  clock  struck  nine.  A  few  moments 
later,  a  boat,  containing  one  man,  pulled  up  to  the 
Point. 

"Is  it  all  right?"  asked  the  person  in  the  boat. 

"  All  right,"  answered  Mat  Mogmore,  as  he  stepped 
into  the  boat.  "  We  have  no  time  to  lose ;  Mr.  Wat- 
son will  return  soon." 

Mat  took  one  of  the  oars,  and  they  rowed  over  to 
the  landing-place,  in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Watson's  house. 
Mat  went  up   to   the   side  door    and  rang  the  bell. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOULD,  201 

He  was  admitted  to  the  entry,  and  told  the  servant 
he  wished  to  see  Miss  Watson.  Bessie,  who  was 
now  all  ready,  came  down  stairs  with  her  travelling 
bag  in  her  hand. 

"  Captain  Fairfield  sent  me  on  shore  for  you,"  said 
Mat. 

"  Where  is  my  father  ?  "  asked  Bessie. 

"  He  is  on  board.  He  was  in  a  hurry  to  see  the 
captain,  and  went  on  board  with  the  steward.  The 
yacht  is  all  ready  to  sail  now,  as  soon  as  you  go  on 
board." 

It  was  not  exactly  like  Levi  to  send  one  of  his 
hands  after  her;  but  the  yacht  was  going  off  in  a 
hurry,  and  he  must  be  very  busy.  It  was  strange 
that  her  father  did  not  come  home  before  he  went 
on  board;  but  perhajDS  he  had  learned  something 
more  about  the  race,  and  was  in  haste  to  inform  Levi 
of  it.  She  was  only  afraid  that  the  trip  would  be 
abandoned.  Her  mother  came  to  the  entry,  told  her 
to  "  wrap  up  warm,"  be  careful  not  to  take  cold, 
and  then  kissed  her  with  an  affectionate  adieu.  Mat 
Mogmore  led  the  way  down  to  the  boat,  and  assist- 
ed her  to  a  seat  in  the  stern-sheets. 


202  FREAKS   OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

The  night  was  clear;  but  it  was  quite  dark,  and 
the  darkness  on  the  water  is  deeper,  and  more  dense, 
to  a  person  unaccustomed  to  the  sea,  than  ,on  the 
land.  Bessie  was  not  afraid ;  but  after  the  boat  had 
gone  a  few  rods  from  the  shore,  she  had  no  idea 
where  she  was,  for  the  gloom  of  night  breeds  confu- 
sion in  the  mind  on  the  sea. 

Bessie  did  not  recognize  Mat's  companion  in  the 
boat;  but  she  supposed  he  was  one  of  the  crew  of 
the  yacht.  He  did  not  speak,  and  she  had  no  reason 
to  suspect  that  anything  was  wrong.  Mat  Mogmore 
was  well  known  to  her,  and  had  been  long  before  the 
yacht  was  built.  He  was  one  of  Levi's  hands,  and 
his  presence,  if  she  had  had  any  suspicions,  would 
have  been  enough  to  satisfy  her. 

"  How  dark  it  is ! "  said  Bessie  to  Mat,  who  pulled 
the  after  oar. 

"Not  very  dark,  miss,"  replied  Mat.  "The  stars 
are  out,  and  we  don't  call  it  very  dark  when  we  can 
see  them." 

"But  I  cannot  see  anything,  or  tell  where  I  am. 
I  can  see  the  lights  in  the  town,  but  I  can't  make 
out  anything  else " 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  203 

"Because  you  are  not  used  to  it.  Can't  you  see 
the  yacht  right  ahead  of  us?" 

"I  can  see  the  outline  of  a  vessel,  but  I  couldn't 
tell  whether  it  was  The  Starry  Flag  or  a  fishing 
vessel." 

"It's   the  yacht." 

Bessie  looked  around  her,  and  tried  to  distinguish 
the  headlands,  which  looked  like  masses  of  darkness 
resting  beneath  the  star-lit  sky. 

"Now  you  can  see  the  yacht,"  said  Mat,  as  the 
boat  approached  a  vessel  which  was  not  unlike  the 
yacht. 

_  "  Yes,  I  see  her  plain  enough  now,"  answered  Bes- 
sie, taking  it  for  granted. 

"It's  a  very  pleasant  night  to  sail,"  added  Mat, 
as  the  boat  ran  up  alongside  the  vessel. 

"  Beautiful ! "  exclaimed  Bessie,  as  she  looked  up 
to  the  stars. 

The  boat  was  brought  up  to  the  gangway;  the 
man  at  the  bow  oar  stepped  out  and  assisted  her  on 
board.  Mat  Mogmore  did  not  follow  her,  but  pushed 
off  the  boat,  and  pulled  away  into  the  darkness.  It 
still   wanted    more    than   half  an    hour  of  the    time 


204  FREAKS    OF    FOETTJXE,    OS 

appointed  for  the  sailing  of  the  yacht.  Mat  pulled  a 
short  distance  from  the  vessel,  and  then  lay  upon  his 
oars.  He  waited  there  fifteen  minutes,  either  to  kill 
the  time  or  to  arrange  his  plans,  and  then  ran  up 
alongside  the  yacht. 

He  had  j)ut  Bessie  on  board  of  the  Caribbee ! 

He  was  actually  in  the  employ  of  Dock  Vincent. 

Mat  stepped  on  the  deck  of  The  Starry  Flag, 
whose  foresail  and  mainsail  had  been  hoisted,  and 
her  anchor  hove  short.  The  lamps  in  the  cabin  and 
state-rooms  were  lighted,  and  the  steward  was  as 
busy  as  a  bee,  and  delighted  at  the  thought  of  once 
more  having  the  beautiful  young  lady  on  board;  for 
it  was  a  joy  to  serve  her,  her  smile  was  so  sweet, 
her  voice  so  pleasant,  and  her  heart  so  full  of  kind- 
ness. 

"Where  are  you,  Mat?"  demanded  Levi,  as  the 
treacherous  seaman  came  on  board. 

"My  mother  has  just  had  a  fit,  and  they  say  she 
will  not  live  till  morning,"  replied  Mat,  in  the  most 
disconsolate  of  tones.  "I  shouldn't  have  come  on 
board  at  all  if  Mr.  Watson  hadn't  sent  me  with  a 
message  to  you." 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WORLD.  205 

"  What  was  the  message  ? "  asked  Levi,  tenderly, 
for  he  was  full  of  pity  for  Mat. 

"lie  told  me  to  tell  you  that  he  and  Miss  Bessie 
would  meet  you  in  Portland  on  your  arrival.  Her 
mother  made  such  a  fuss  about  her  going  oif  in  the 
night  without  her  aunt,  that  her  father  decided  to 
take  the  cars,  for  he  heard  in  Gloucester  that  an  ex- 
cursion train  would  come  along  about  twelve  o'clock." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Levi.  "  I  will  go  on  shore  with 
you  and  see  about  it.  I  hope  your  mother  will  get 
better." 

"I  hope  so.  Mr.  Watson  started  right  off  in  the 
buggy  with  Bessie." 

"Has  he  gone?" 

"Yes,  he  went  right  off.  He  was  in  a  hurry,  for 
he  has  to  drive  to  Beverly  to  catch  the  train.  You 
won't  see  him  if  you  go  on  shore." 

"  Then  I  think  I  will  not  go ;  but  I  will  not  keep 
you  a  moment,"  added  Levi. 

"  If  you  want  another  hand  in  my  place,  I  can  get 
Tom  Sampson." 

"We  can  get  along  very  well  without  any  more 
help,"   replied  Levi,  as  Mat  pushed  off. 


20G  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

Levi  was  vexed  that  Mrs.  Watson's  timidity  had 
deprived  him  of  Bessie's  company ;  but  it  was  like 
her,  and  on  their  trip  to  the  eastward,  he  had  been 
obliged  to  be  in  port  every  night  to  please  her. 
However,  he  would  receive  his  passengers  on  board 
at  Portland  the  next  morning ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes 
more,  the  yacht  tripped  her  anchor,  and  sailed  out 
of  the  bay. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  207 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE    CAEIBBEE. 


BESSIE  WATSON"  stood  upon  the  deck  of  the 
Caribbee,  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  she 
did  not  at  first  discover  that  the  vessel  was  not  The 
Stany  Flag.  She  wondered  that  Levi,  with  his  ac- 
customed devotion,  did  not  spring  to  receive  her 
when  she  came  on  board;  that  the  steward  did  not 
present  his  smiling  face ;  and  that  her  ever-anxious 
father  failed  to  assure  himself  that  she  did  not  fall 
overboard  in  passing  from  the  boat  to  the  vessel. 
She  was  an  only  daughter,  and  when  she  appeared 
it  was  customary  to  "  turn  out  the  guard  "  and  pay 
all  the  honors. 

To  say  that  Bessie  Watson  was  a  pretty  girl,  is 
saying  very  little.  She  was  a  good  girl  —  and  this 
is  saying  something  more,  and  something  better. 
Nothing    but    a   true    heart    and    excellent    common 


208  FKEAKS    OF   FOSTUKEj    OJS 

sense  saved  her  from  being  spoiled  by  the  indulgence* 
of  her  father  and  mother.  Another  devotee  was 
added  to  those  who  adored  her;  but  she  refused  to- 
be  spoiled  even  by  Levi's  flattery,  if  such  it  could  be 
called ;  for  the  young  skipper  was  as  sincere  in  his 
admiration  of  her  as  of  the  yacht  he  commanded. 
Bessie  did  not  pout  or  flout  when  neither  Levi  nor 
her  father  appeared  to  receive  her. 

The  man  who  had  been  in  the  boat  with  Mat 
Mogmore  was  Captain  Gauley,  the  stranger.  After 
handing  Bessie  on  board,  he  led  the  way,  in  silence, 
towards  the  cabin.  There  were  no  lights  on  deck, 
and  she  could  see  no  difference  between  the  two 
vessels,  even  when  she  had  descended  the  steps  into 
the  cabin;  for  no  light  appeared  there.  The  dark- 
ness had  been  chosen  to  help  the  illusion,  and  Bes- 
sie had  to  feel  her  way.  She  came  to  the  table  in 
the  middle  of  the  cabin,  and  knowing  that  there  were 
lockers  forming  seats  below  the  berths,  she  groped 
her  way  to  the  side  of  the  apartment,  and  seated 
herself. 

"All  hands  are  busy  forward  in  getting  under 
way,"  said  her  conductor,  from  the  steps. 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  209 

"Where  is  tlie  steward?"  asked  Bessie. 

"He  has  been  so  hurried  putting  away  his  stores 
that  he  has  not  been  in  the  cabin." 

"  Are  you  a  new  hand  ? "  asked  Bessie,  who  did 
not  recognize  the  voice  of  the  man. 

"  I  am ;  I  am  only  going  this  trip." 

"  Send  the  steward,  if  you  please,  to  light  the 
lamps,"  added  Bessie,  who  was  reasonable  enough  to 
understand  that  the  yacht  was  going  to  sea  on  short 
notice,  and  she  did  not  demand  any  unnecessary  at- 
tention under  the  circumstances. 

"  I  will  send  him  right  down  if  I  can  find  him." 

Captain  Gauley  went  on  deck ;  and  Bessie  heard 
a  great  rattling  of  ropes,  a  swaying  of  booms,  and 
hasty  footsteps  above  her.  She  could  not  see  a 
thing ;  but  she  waited  in  the  gloom  for  the  stew- 
ard to  come  and  light  the  lamps.  The  noise  on  deck 
indicated  that  all  hands  were  busy,  as  the  man  had 
said ;  and  even  yet  she  suspected  nothing. 

Mat  Mogmore  did  not  go  on  shore  to  see  his  sick 

mother.     He  heard  the  order  of  Captain  Fairfield  to 

man  the  windlass  and  stand  by  the  head  sails ;   then 

he  pulled   for  the   Caiibbee,   to   which  his   boat  be- 

14 


210  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

longed.  Everything  had  worked  to  his  entire  satis- 
faction. Levi  had  been  as  credulous  as  he  desired 
hini  to  be,  and  The  Starry  Flag  was  standing  out  of 
the  bay  on  her  way  to  Portland. 

"  How  is  it  ? "  asked  Captain  Gauley,  in  a  low 
tone,  as  Mat  came  on  deck. 

"All  right;  the  yacht  is  under  way,"  replied  Mat. 

"  We  must  get  off  at  once,  then." 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry ;  wait  till  the  Flag  has  made 
a  couple  of  miles,  so  that  Levi  won't  notice  the  move- 
ments of  this  vessel.     Where  is  the  girl  ? " 

"  In  the  cabin.  It  is  pitch  dark  there,  and  she  has 
not  found  out  where  she  is  yet,"  answered  Gauley, 
with  a  suppressed  chuckle,  as  though  the  plan  was 
not  only  a  success,  but  a  capital  joke. 

The  foresail  and  the  mainsail  of  the  Caribbee  were 
hoisted,  and  her  crew  were  busy  in  getting  up  the 
anchor.  By  the  time  the  preparations  were  complet- 
ed, the  yacht  had  disappeared  in  the  darkness  and 
the  distance.  The  jib  was  hoisted,  and  the  vessel 
stood  out  of  the  bay  in  a  direction  nearly  opposite 
to  that  taken  by  the  yacht. 

Bessie    began  to   be    impatient.      The    yacht    was 


HALF    EOUND    THE    WORLD.  211 

under  way,  and  still  the  steward  did  not  come;  still 
her  father,  who  had  nothing  to  do  with  working  the 
vessel,  did  not  make  his  appearance.  Had  they  for- 
gotten that  she  was  on  board  ?  If  they  had,  it  would 
be  the  most  remarkable  thing  that  ever  occurred. 
She  could  not  understand  it.  She  knew,  as  the  ves- 
sel was  now  sailing,  that  Levi  must  be  at  the  helm, 
just  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and  she  decided  to 
go  up  and  speak  to  him.  She  could  see  the  stars 
through  the  opening  of  the  companion-way,  and  she 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  her  way  out  of  the 
cabin. 

"Levi?"    said  she,  as  she  stepped  upon  deck. 

"  He  is  not  here,"  replied  Captain  Gauley,  who  was 
at  the  helm. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  asked  Bessie ;  and,  without  know- 
ing that  anything  was  wrong,  things  began  to  look 
a  little  strange  to  her,  or  rather  to  feel  so,  for  she 
could  not  see  anything. 

"  I  really  don't  know  where  he  is,  just  now,"  re- 
plied the  helmsman.     "  But  he  cannot  be  far  off." 

"The  steward  has  not  lighted  the  cabin  yet," 
added  she. 


212  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OE 

"The  captain  told  the  steward  not  to  do  so." 

"Did  he  — why?" 

"  I  think  you  cannot  be  accustomed  to  sailing  near 
the  land  at  night"  added  Captain  Gauley. 

"I  really  am  not." 

"  The  light  would  blind  the  helmsman's  eyes  so 
that,  he  could  not  see  the  shore.  As  soon  as  we  are 
clear  of  the  Selvages  we  shall  light  up." 

Bessie  was  satisfied  with  this  explanation.  On 
board  of  a  Sound  steamer  she  had  observed  that  the 
windows  in  the  forward  part  of  the  saloon  were  cov- 
ered with  thick  canvas  at  night,  so  that  the  glare 
of  the  light  near  the  boat  should  not  deepen  the 
gloom  beyond  it,  and  thus  prevent  the  pilot  from 
seeing  the  land,  or  other  vessels  in  the  distance. 
But  she  was  not  satisfied  with  her  situation  other- 
wise. The  vessel  did  not  feel  like  the  yacht,  and 
Levi  and  her  father  did  not  appear. 

While  she  stood  watching  the  helmsman,  and 
trying  to  comprehend  the  inexplicable  position  of 
affairs,  she  saw  a  light  in  the  cabin.  She  looked 
down,  and  perceived  a  woman  in  the  act  of  lighting 
a  lamp. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  213 

"  Don't  light  that  lamp ! "  shouted  the  man  at  the 
helm.  "It  blinds  my  eyes  so  that  I  can't  see  to 
steer." 

The  woman  extinguished  the  match  she  was  ap- 
plying to  the  lamp,  and  darkness  reigned  in  the 
cabin  again.  Who  was  the  woman?  She  asked  the 
helmsman. 

"Your  father  thought  you  ought  to  have  a  female 
waiter,  and  he  has  obtained  one,"  replied  Captain 
Gauley ;  but  she  did  not  notice  the  chuckle  with 
which  he  spoke. 

Bessie  knew  that  her  father  would  not  have  pro- 
vided a  woman  without  consulting  her,  and  she  de- 
termined to  inquire  into  the  situation.  She  went 
down  the  cabin  steps  again,  guided  by  faith,  rather 
than  sight,  and  felt  her  way  to  the  locker  where  she 
had  before  been  seated. 

"  Who  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  woman,  from  her  place  at 
the  forward  part  of  the  cabin. 

"It  is  I,"  replied  Bessie.  "Did  my  father  employ 
you  as  stewardess  of  the  yacht  ? " 

"  I  guess  not,"  replied  the  woman.  "  I'm  not  any- 
body's stewardess,  I  can  tell  you ! " 


214  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,   OR 

"  Who  are  you  then  ? "  asked  Bessie,  now  really 
alarmed. 

"Well,  I'm  Mrs.  Vincent,  of  course.  This  is  my 
husband's  vessel,  and  I  never  expect  to  be  a  servant 
to  anybody,"  answered  the  woman,  rather  indignant 
at  being  thought  a  stewardess,  even  in  the  dark. 
"Now,  who  are  you?" 

"I  am  Miss  Watson,"  rejolied  Bessie,  her  heart 
sinking  within  her,  so  that  she  could  hardly  utter 
the  words. 

"  Miss  Watson  !  Bless  me !  What,  Mr.  Watson's 
daughter  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  that  is  strange,  sure   enough  ! " 

"Is  Captain  Dock  Vincent  your  husband?"  asked 
Bessie,  almost  choked  with  terror. 

"  Certainly  he  is." 

"And  this  vessel  is  not  The  Starry  Flag?" 

"  Why,  no ;  it's  the  Caribbee.  How  on  earth  came 
you  here  ? " 

"  I  supposed  it  was  the  yacht  —  my  father's  yacht," 
gasped  the  poor  girl,  overwhelmed  when  she  realized 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  215 

that  she  had  fallen  into  a  snare  set  by  her  former 
enemy. 

"  That's  too  bad ;  but  I  didn't  know  nothing  at  all 
about  it.  Waldock  "  —  she  called  her  husband  by 
his  full  given  name  —  "Waldock  is  up  to  some  awful 
trick." 

It  was  a  consolation  to  know  that  the  woman  was 
not  a  party  to  her  husband's  wicked  scheme.  Bessie 
explained  how  she  had  been  entrapped ;  but  Mrs. 
Vincent  declared  that  she  did  not  even  know  the 
vessel  was  .to  sail  that  night.  She  had  retired  with 
her  two  children  at  nine  o'clock,  and  got  up  when 
she  felt  the  motion  of  the  vessel   under  way. 

"  Where  is  she  going  ? "  asked  Bessie,  wiping  away 
the  tears  that  dimmed  her  eyes. 

"We  are  all  going  to  Australia." 

"  Where  is  your  husband  ?  "  demanded  Bessie,  with 
a  shudder. 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  He  went  off  to  New 
York ;  but  of  course  we  are  not  going  to  Australia 
without  him." 

While  they  were  talking,  Mat  Mogmore  came  into 
the  cabiu:  and  lighted  a  lamp. 


216  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

"Mat,  what  does  all  this  mean?"  said  Mrs.  Yin- 
cent,  sharply. 

"We  have  carried  the  thing  out  just  as  Captain 
Vincent  told  us  to  do,"  replied  Mat. 

"What  did  he  tell  you  to  do?" 

"  He  left  us  to  get  Miss  Watson  on  board.  We 
haven't  had  a  chance  to  do  so  before,  though  we 
have  been  watching  three  or  four  days  for  one." 

"  Why  did  you  wish  to  get  me  on  board  ? "  in- 
quired Bessie,  trembling  in  every  fibre  of  her  frame. 

"  O,  you  needn't  be  frightened,  Miss  Watson.  You 
are  not  to  be  hurt,  and  you  are  to  be  treated  as 
well  as  if  you  were  on  board  of  the  yacht.  Three 
years  ago  your  father  and  Levi  sent  Captain  Yin- 
cent  to  the  state  prison.  He  didn't  forget  it,  and 
he  is  going  to  carry  out  the  plan  he  began  upon 
then." 

"  Am  I  to  be  carried  to  Australia  ?  "  ashed  Bessie. 

"That  depends  on  your  father.  If  he  pays  the 
money  Captain  Yincent  asks,  we  shall  send  you  back. 
Your  father  and  Levi  served  the  captain  a  mean 
trick,  and  he  always  said  he  would  get  even  with 
them ;  and  I  think  he  will  now." 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WOELD.  217 

*'But  how  came  you  in  this  vessel,  Mat?"  asked 
Bessie. 

"I  went  into  the  yacht  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
doing  the  little  job  I  finished  up  to-night,"  answered 
Mat,  with  a  sneaking  smile. 

"  O,  what  a  wretch  !  "  exclaimed  Bessie. 

"A  wretch?  Well,  perhaps  I  am;  but  it  pays 
bettor  than  going  before  the  mast  in  the  yacht.  Cap- 
tain Vincent  has  your  father  this  time  where  he  can 
hold  him,"  added  Mat.  "  Levi  has  gone  off  to  Port- 
land to  sail  in  the  race,  and  he  can't  do  anything  for 
you  this  time.  If  you  have  a  mind  to  write  to  your 
father,  and  tell  him  to  come  down  with  the  rocks,  I 
will  see  that  he  gets  the  letter  within  a  week  or  so. 
He  must  put  down  about  a  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars this  time." 

"  Poor  girl !  "  ejaculated  Mrs.  Vincent.  "  I  pity 
you;  but  my  husband  is  an  awful  man,  and  I  can't 
do   anything   about  it." 

"  We  haven't  anything  against  her,"  said  Mat. 
"  She  is  to  have  a  state-room  by  herself,  and  live 
like  a  lady.     That's  the  captain's  orders.     The  matter 


218  FKEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OK 

rests  there,  and  it  isn't  any  use  to  say  anything  more 
about  it." 

Mat  went  on  deck,  leaving  Bessie  to  weep  over 
her  unhap]3y  fate,  with  no  one  but  Mrs.  Vincent  to 
comfort  her. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  219 


CHAPTER  XX. 


DOCK   VINCENT'S   LETTER. 


M: 


R.  WATSON"  drove  to  Gloucester;  but  at 
JlTJL  this  hour  in  the  evening  he  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  finding  the  telegraphic  operator,  and  it  was 
fully  ten  o'clock  before  he  returned  to  his  house  in 
Rockport,  -ready  to  go  on  board  of  the  yacht. 

"  Why,  I  thought  you  had  gone ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Watson,  when  her  husband  presented  himself. 

"No;  I  was  detained  in  Gloucester.  Where  is 
Bessie." 

"Bessie  has  gone  on  board  of  the  yacht.  Mat 
Mogmore  came  for  her,  and  said  you  had  gone  off  in 
the  steward's  boat." 

"There  is  some  mistake  about  it,"  replied  Mr. 
Watson ;  but  he  had  no  idea  of  the  stupendous  mis- 
take which  had  been  made. 

He  went  out  to  the  pier;   but,  having  no  boat,  he 


220  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,   OR 

hastened  over  to  the  Point  to  obtain  a  skiff,  though 
he  could  not  see  why  a  boat  from  The  Starry  Flag 
was  not  waiting  for  him.  All  was  still  on  the  Point ; 
but  he  found  a  dory,  in  which  he  pulled  off  to  the 
place  where  the  yacht  usually  lay  when  in  port.  He 
could  not  find  her.  It  was  evident  that  she  had 
sailed;  and  it  was  more  certain  than  before  that  a 
great  mistake  had  been  made.  He  returned  to  the 
Point.  Mr.  Gayles  was  there.  He  had  come  down 
to  assure  himself  that  the  Caribbee  had  not  stolen  a 
march  upon  him.  He  could  not  see  her  in  the  gloom 
of  the  night.  He  recognized  Mr.  Watson,  as  he 
landed  from  the  dory. 

"Did  you  see  the  Caribbee?"  asked  the  constable. 

"  No ;  did  you  see  the  yacht  ?  "  demanded  the  anx- 
ious father. 

"I  did  not." 

Mr.  Watson  stated  the  circumstances ;  but  the  offi- 
cer could  neither  assist  nor  enlighten  him. 

The  Starry  Flag  was  miles  away  to  the  north- 
north-east,  and  the  Caribbee  was  miles  away  to  the 
south-south-east. 

Levi  had  gone,  Bessie  had  gone,  the  Caribbee  had 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  221 

gone.  Mr.  Watson  wanted  to  know  why  Levi  had 
gQne  without  him ;  but  there  was  no  one  to  tell  him. 
He  did  not  suspect  that  Bessie  had  not  gone  with 
him.  Mr.  Gayles  wanted  to  know  why  the  Caribbee 
had  sailed  without  Dock  Vincent ;  but  there  was  no 
one  to  tell  him.  Standing  on  the  Point,  both  were 
vexed  and  perplexed ;  but  neither  could  help  himself, 
and  neither  could  solve  the  mystery.  Both  went 
home. 

Mrs.  Watson  was  alarmed  when  her  husband  told 
her  that  the  yacht  had  gone  without  him.  It  was  a 
fact  —  as  Mat  Mogmore  had  stated  —  that  an  excur- 
sion train  left  Boston  at  eleven  o'clock  for  Portland. 
Many  of  the  people  of  Pockport  had  gone  to  the 
city  to  hear  a  great  singer,  and  were  to  return  in 
this  train.  Levi  knew  of  it,  or  he  might  have  doubt- 
ed Mat's  story.  Mr.  Watson  was  a  man  of  action. 
He  ordered  his  fastest  horse  to  be  brought  to  the 
door;  and  he  drove,  at  a  furious  pace,  to  Ipswich, 
which  was  a  little  nearer  than  Beverly,  and  the  train 
would  arrive  there  half  an  hour  later.  At  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning  he  was  in  Portland.  He  chartered 
a  large  sail-boat,   and    stood    down   the  harbor.      At 


222  FEEAKS    OF   F0BTUNE,   OR 

seven  o'clock  he  discovered  The  Starry  Flag,  off  Cape 
Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Watson  was  angry  because  Levi  had  left  him 
behind ;  angry  because  Levi  had  taken  Bessie  and 
not  taken  him.  Though  an  unpleasant  word  had 
never  before  passed  between  them,  the  father  — 
whose  ideas  of  propriety  were  very  clearly  defined 
—  determined  that  some  emphatic  words  should  be 
used  on  the  present  occasion.  He  paid  his  boatman, 
when  the  yacht  had  been  hailed,  and  in  due  time 
was  transferred  to  her. 

"  Where  is  Bessie  ?  "  asked  Levi,  before  her  father 
had  time  to  utter  a  single  sharp  word. 

The  emphatic  words  were  never  spoken. 

"Where  is  she?"  repeated  Mr.  Watson.  "Isn't 
she  on  board  of  the  yacht  ?  " 

"No,  sir,"  replied  Levi,  now  alarmed,  as  her  father 
was. 

"  Not  here  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not.  Didn't  she  come  by  railroad  with 
you?" 

"No;  I  haven't  seen  her  since  I  started  for  Glouces- 
ter last  night." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  223 

Levi  almost  sank  upon  the  deck,  and  Mr.  Wat- 
son's strength  was  all  taken  from  him  by  the  discov- 
ery that  some  mishap  had  befallen  his  daughter. 
Levi  explained  when  he  had  breath  enough  to  do  so. 
Mr.  Watson  also  explained,  and  each  was  in  posses- 
sion of  all  the  information  the  other  had ;  but  their 
wisdom  was  foolishness,  since  it  fell  far  short  of  the 
requirements  of  the  moment. 

"The  Caribbee  sailed  last  night,  Levi,"  said  Mr. 
Watson,  who,  however,  did  not  regard  the  fact  as 
of  much  importance,  or  as  having  any  especial  con- 
nection with  the  absence  of  Bessie. 

"  Sailed  ! "  exclaimed  Levi.  "  Then  Bessie  has 
sailed  in  her." 

"  I  can  hardly  believe  it,"  added  Mr.  Watson. 

"It  is  another  plan  to  extort  money  from  you." 

Levi  persisted  in  his  belief.  Putting  this  and  that 
together,  he  could  almost  demonstrate  that  Mat  Mog- 
more  was  in  the  employ  of  Dock  Vincent;  indeed, 
Dock  had  told  him  that  Mat  intended  to  sail  for 
Australia  with  him.  Mr.  Watson  decided  to  return 
immediately  to  Rockport,  and  the  yacht  lay  to  off  the 
railroad  wharf  long  enough   to  land  him.      He  took 


224  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,   OB 

the  morning  train  for  Boston,  and  reached  home  at 
two  o'clock. 

The  Starry  Flag  did  not  sail  in  the  race  that  day. 
As  soon  as  her  owner  had  been  landed,  she  was 
headed  for  Caj)e  Ann  again,  and  arrived  before  night. 
Levi  was  bewildered  and  confounded  by  the  shock 
of  the  blow  which  had  fallen  upon  him  and  the 
Watson  family.  He  could  do  nothing,  and  in  his 
inactivity  he  chafed  like  a  caged  lion.  Mr.  Watson 
had  gone  to  Boston  soon  after  his  arrival,  taking 
Mr.  Gayles  with  him.  lie  did  not  return  till  the 
next  day.  He  had  chartered  a  swift  steamer,  and 
the  constable,  with  other  officers,  had  gone  in  pursuit 
of  the  Caribbee. 

In  the  morning  mail,  on  the  second  day  after  the 
disappearance  of  Bessie,  came  a  letter  to  her  father. 
Levi  was  present  when  it  was  opened,*  and  it  con- 
tained a  full  confirmation  of  his  theory  that  Bessie 
had  been  carried  off  in  the  Caribbee,  and  was  now 
going  half  round  the  world  to  Australia.  The  let- 
ter was  written  by  Dock  Vincent,  and  dated  ten 
days  before  its  receipt.  The  villain  assured  the  dis- 
tracted  parents   that   Bessie    should   be  kindly  cared 


IIALF   HOUND    THE    WORLD.  225 

for  by  Mrs.  Vincent,  and  should  be  restored  to  her 
friends  as  soon  as  possible  after  her  father  had  paid 
over  to  Mr.  Fairfield  the  sum  of  seventy  thousand 
dollars. 

Mr.  Watson  dropped  the  letter  on  the  floor,  and 
breathed  a  deej)  sigh.  He  would  have  given  double 
the  sum  for  the  return  of  Bessie ;  but  his  conscience 
would  not  permit  him  to  reward  villany  like  that  of 
Dock  Vincent. 

"  Levi,  your  uncle  is  concerned  in  this  affair,"  said 
Mr.  Watson,  turning  to  the  young  skipper  with  a 
sad  look. 

"I  suppose  he  is.     I  will  go  and  see  him  at  once." 

"  I  will  go  with  you." 

They  went. 

"Mr.  Fairfield,  where  is  Dock  Vincent?"  asked  the 
suffering  father,  when  he  and  Levi  had  been  admitted 
to  the  kitchen. 

"I  don't  know  no  more'n  nothin'  in  the  world," 
whined  the  miser.      "  I  hain't  seen  nothin'  on  him." 

"  You  don't  know  ! "  repeated  Mr.  Watson,  sternly. 

"No  more'n  nothin'  in  the  world,"  answered  the 
old  man,  who  realized  that  the  first  Instalment  of 
15 


226  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

trouble  on  account  of  Dock's  little  plan  was  about 
to  come  upon  him. 

"Yes,  you  do  know  where  he  is.  Read  that  let- 
ter;" and  the  merchant  handed  him  the  epistle  he 
had  received  from  Dock. 

Mr.  Fairfield  took  the  letter,  put  on  his  glasses, 
and  studied  out  its  contents. 

"I  don't  know  nothin'  about  it,"  pleaded  the  old 
man,  as  he  looked  over  his  spectacles  at  the  stern 
parent. 

"  Don't  tell  me  that !  I'm  not  to  be  trifled  with.  I 
want  my  daughter,  and  you  are  a  party  to  this  con- 
spiracy. If  you  don't  speak  I'll  wring  an  answer  out 
of  you  by  force,"  said  Mr.  Watson,  his  patience  ex- 
hausted, and  his  indignation  so  aroused  that  he  could 
not  control  it. 

"  I  tell  you  I  don't  know  nothin'  at  all  about  it.  I 
hain't  seen  your  darter,  nor  Cap'n  Vincent  nuther," 
whimpered  the  miser. 

"  No  evasion  !  Answer  me  at  once,"  thundered  the 
enraged  merchant,  goaded  to  desperation  by  the  an- 
guish his  injury  called  forth.  "Your  name  is  men- 
tioned in  this  letter.     You  are  to  receive  the  money, 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  227 

and  share  it  with  the  scoundrel  who  intends  to  filch 
it  from  me.  Vincent  did  not  go  in  the  vessel. 
Where  is  he?" 

"I  don't  know  nothin'  at  all  about  it,"  answered 
Mr.  Fairfield,  wriggling  like  a  worm  in  his  chair. 

"  Yes,  you  do.  You  are  to  send  the  money  to  him. 
Where  is  he  ? "  demanded  Mr.  Watson,  as  he  seized 
the  old  man  by  the  throat,  and  dragged  him  out  of 
his  chair. 

"  Lem  me  be ! "  sputtered  the  miser,  trying  to  free 
himself  from  the  grasp  of  the  wrathful  father. 

"  Speak,  old  man !  Where  is  he  ?  Speak,  or  I  will 
tear  the  answer  from  you." 

"  Be  calm,  Mr.  Watson,"  interposed  Levi,  gently. 

"  For  niassy's  sake !  You  don't  mean  to  kill  him 
—  do  you  ? "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Fairfield,  alarmed  for 
the  safety  of  her  husband.  "  Don't  hurt  him  !  He's 
a  poor  old  man,  and  don't  know  no  better." 

Mr.  Watson,  conscious  that  he  had  gone  too  far  in 
his  violent  indignation,  released  his  grasp  upon  the 
miser,  and  he  sank  back  into  his  chair  more  fright- 
ened than  hurt. 

"If  I  knew  anything  consarnin'   this  business,   I'd 


228  FEEAKS    OF    FOETUNE,    OE 

tell  you  all  about  it,"  added  the  old  man,  when  he 
had  regained  his  breath. 

"Uncle  Nathan,  this  money  is  to  be  paid  over  to 
yon,  and  you  must  know  something  about  it,"  said 
Levi,  decidedly. 

"  O,  yes ;  you  hate  me,  and  you  want  to  persecute 
me,"  replied  the  old  man,  bitterly,  as  he  glanced 
spitefully  at  his  nephew.  "There,  now,  you  broke 
my  glasses,"  continued  the  miser,  as  he  picked  them 
up  from  the  hearth,  on  which  they  had  fallen.  "  I 
gin  a  dollar  for  them  glasses;  I'm  a  poor  man,  and 
'tain't  right  I  should  lose  'em." 

"Will  you  tell  me  where  Vincent  is,  or  shall  I 
send  a  constable  to  arrest  you  for  conspiracy  ? "  de- 
manded Mr.  Watson. 

"  I  don't  know  nothin'  at  all  where  he  is,"  replied 
the  miser,  alarmed  by  this  threat. 

"  You  were  to  receive  this  money." 

"  That  may  be.  Cap'n  Vincent  did  tell  me  if  you 
paid  any  money  to  me  for  him  to  keep  it  till  he 
come  for't.  He  didn't  tell  me  nothin'  at  all  he  was 
go'n'  to  do,  nor  where  he  was  goin'  to.  I  hain't  no 
idee  in  the  world  where  he  is." 


HALF    BOUND    THE   WORLD.  229 

This  was  all  that  either  Mr.  Watson  or  Levi  could 
get  out  of  the  old  man.  It  was  really  all  he  knew ; 
and  the  visitors,  disappointed  and  disheartened,  re- 
tired from  the  miser's  presence,  though  not  till  the 
merchant  had  declared  that  he  did  not  intend  to 
pay  one  penny  to  Dock  to  restore  his  daughter. 
The  old  man  groaned  when  they  had  gone ;  but  it 
was  because  he  was  to  lose  his  reward,  and  probably 
the  money  he  had  loaned.  It  was  a  bitter  hour  to 
him. 

Mr.  Watson  and  Levi  conferred  together  as  they 
walked  home.  From  that  time  no  one  passed  in  or 
out  of  the  miser's  house  without  being  observed. 
Levi  watched  that  day ;  but  at  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  took  his  place,  to 
serve  for  the  night. 


230  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

THE    CAEIBBEE    SAILS    FOR    AUSTRALIA. 

IF,  Mrs.  Dock  Vincent  had  not  been  a  person  of 
higher  moral  purposes  than  her  husband,  sad 
indeed  would  have  been  the  lot  of  the  two  children 
that  slept  in  the  captain's  state-room  on  board  of 
the  Caribbee.  As  is  often  the  case,  she  knew  less 
of  her  husband's  moral  obliquity  than  the  world  at 
large,  though  even  she  knew  enough  to  believe  that 
he  was  not  what  he  should  be.  People  did  not  tell 
her  of  Dock's  wicked  deeds,  and  he  complained  bit- 
terly to  her  of  the  hard  treatment  which  the  world 
bestowed  upon  him.  That  good  men  frowned  at 
him  and  spurned  him  he  unjustly  attributed  to  their 
hypocrisy  and  self-esteem,  rather  than  to  his  own  evil 
deeds  and  evil  intentions. 

Dock  had   spent  a  term    in   the  state    prison,  and 
his  character  was  damaged,  if  not  ruined.    Men  would 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  231 

not  trust  him,  and  the  reprobate  chafed  under  the 
public  censure.  To  his  wife  and  his  friends  he  made 
himself  appear  like  a  deeply  injured  person,  like  a 
martyr  —  in  what  good  cause  he  could  not  say.  He 
was  going  to  Australia  to  begin  life  anew,  to  carve 
out  his  fortune  in  a  strange  land,  where  he  was  not 
known.  Mrs.  Vincent  was  willing  to  leave  her  native 
land,  and  make  a  new  home  in  a  distant  country  for 
this  purpose,  for  the  motive  seemed  to  be  a  laudable 
one. 

.  She  had  no  knowledge,  guilty  or  innocent,  of  the 
abduction  of  Bessie,  until  after  the  Caribbee  had 
sailed  ;  but  she  felt  herself  powerless  to  undo  the 
mischief.  If  her  husband  had  been  on  board,  she 
would  not  have  dared  to  oppose  him,  he  was  so  vio- 
lent and  savage  when  she  interfered  with  his  plans. 
She  could  at  least  protect  the  poor  girl  from  insult 
and  injury,  and  she  determined  to  do  this  at  all 
hazards.  It  was  evident  to  her  that  the  Caribbee 
would  not  proceed,  immediately  to  her  destination 
without  her  owner  and  captain.  It  was  probably  the 
intention  of  Captain  Gauley  to  put  into  some  port 
before  she  started  on  her  long  voyage,  when  Dock 
would  join  her. 


232  FllEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    012 

Mrs.  Vincent  pitied  Bessie  "Watson,  and  almost 
hated  her  husband  when  she  realized  of  what  infamy 
he  was  capable.  She  comforted  the  poor  girl  as  well 
as  she  was  able,  and  promised  to  be  her  friend  under 
all  circumstances.  She  conducted  her  to  an  unoccu- 
pied state-room,  which  had  doubtless  been  reserved 
for  her  use,  and  spent  half  the  night  with  her;  for 
Bessie  trembled  at  the  thought  of  being  alone  on 
board  of  the  vessel  of  her  great  enemy. 

Bessie  was  truly  grateful  to  Mrs.  Vincent,  who, 
though  rough  and  rude  in  her  manners,  was  kind  at. 
heart ;  and  her  presence  was  a  great  comfort.  The 
poor  girl,  torn  thus  suddenly  from  her  friends,  wept 
long  and  bitterly  at  her  sad  fate ;  but  at  last  she  fell 
asleep,  committing  herself  to  the  care  of  the  heaven- 
ly Father,  and  relying  upon  him  for  the  succor  which 
he  alone  could  give.  No  one  disturbed  her;  and 
Mrs.  Vincent  watched  over  her,  as  a  child,  till  she 
was  fast  asleep. 

When  she  awoke,  late  in  the  morning,  she  heard 
the  voices  of  children  in  the  cabin,  and  it  was  hard 
to  realize  that  she  was  the  victim  of  Dock  Vincent's 
villany.      She   was  kindly   greeted  by  Mrs.  Vincent, 


HALF   EOUND    THE    WORLD.  233 

and  the  children  stared  at  her  as  though  she  had 
come  up  from  the  depths  of  the  ocean.  She  soon 
made  friends  with  the  boy  of  eight  and  the  girl  of 
ten,  who  were  included  in  the  family  of  her  perse- 
cutor. After  breakfast  she  went  on  deck  with  them, 
and  learned  that  the  vessel  was  off  Cape  Cod.  Cap- 
tain Gauley  was  very  civil  to  her ;  but  she  did  not 
allude  to  the  events  of  the  previous  evening.  He 
was  a  bad  man,  and  she  could  hardly  help  shudder- 
iug  in  his  presence. 

All  day  long  she  played  with  the  children,  and 
short  as  she  made  the  hours  to  them,  they  were  very 
long  to  her.  She  was  so  gentle,  and  kind,  and  un- 
selfish, even  in  her  woe,  that  the  little  ones  loved 
her,  and  would  hardly  leave  her  for  a  moment.  She 
was  certainly  comforted  by  their  presence,  and  her 
endeavors  to  assure  them  lightened  the  moments  of 
the*  long  day.  The  kindness  of  Mrs.  Vincent  did 
much  to  assure  her ;  she  was  satisfied  that  nothing 
worse  than  a  long  separation  from  her  parents  was 
likely  to  happen  to  her.  Feeling  that  it  was  useless 
to  re]mie  at  her  condition,  or  to  weep  over  what 
she   could  not  avoid,  she  resolved  to  make  the  best 


234  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

of  it.  There  was  no  real  hardship  in  her  situation, 
and  the  circumstances  were  certainly  more  agreeable 
than  when  she  had  before  been  an  involuntary  pas- 
senger in  Dock's  vessel.  The  absence  of  the  villain 
himself  was  perhaps  her  greatest  consolation ;  but 
the  presence  of  Mrs.  Vincent  and  the  children  was 
a  real  comfort. 

In  the  evening  Bessie  and  Dock's  wife  talked  the 
matter  over  again  in  her  state-room.  Mrs.  Vincent 
roundly  and  unequivocally  condemned  the  conduct 
of  her  husband.  She  had  discovered  that  the  Carib- 
bee  was  now  headed  to  the  west,  and  it  was  plain 
to  her  that  she  was  not  yet  on  her  way  to  Australia. 
Dock  had  told  her  he  was  going  to  New  York,  and 
it  was  possible  that  he  intended  to  join  them  there. 
She  told  Bessie  that  she  might  be  able  to  leave  the 
vessel  when  she  reached  her  destined  port.  The  poor 
girl  became  more  reconciled  to  her  situation  only  be- 
cause it  was  no  worse,  rather  than  because  it  was 
not  bad  enough.     She  slept  well  that  night. 

The  next  day  she  played  with  the  children,  read 
to  them,  and  dressed  the  girl's  doll  in  the  latest 
fashion.      In    the    evening,    after  Bessie   had   retired, 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WORLD.  235 

the  Caribbee  ran  by  Sandy  Hook,  and  made  a  har- 
bor near  Amboy,  where  she  came  to  anchor.  She 
was  moored  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  no  other 
vessel  was  near  her.  Captain  Gauley  had  carried  out 
the  plans  of  Dock  to  the  letter.  He  had  been  a 
steamboat  pilot  in  these  waters,  and  was  quite  famil- 
iar with  the  navigation.  Dock  had  made  his  ac- 
quaintance while  he  was  acting  as  mate  of  a  boat, 
and  the  mate  and  the  jjilot  were   congenial  spirits. 

When  Bessie  went  on  deck  with  the  children  in 
the  morning,  Captain  Gauley  told  her,  if  she  wished 
to  write  to  her  father,  her  letter  should  be  forwarded, 
as  he  was  going  on  shore  during  the  forenoon.  She 
was  glad  to  assure  her  parents  of  her  safety,  and  she 
wrote  a  long  letter,  describing  her  capture  and  her 
situation  on  board  of  the  Caribbee.  She  stated  the 
facts  as  they  were.  Dock's  agent  was  writing  at 
the  same  time  in  the  cabin;  and  when  she  was 
about  to  fold  her  sheet,  he  wished  to  see  it.  He 
read  it  through,  tore  off  the  heading,  "Near  IsTe^f 
York,"  and  the  date,  and  then  suggested  that  she 
had  better  ask  her  father  to  pay  the  money  required 
for  her  release. 


236  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"  My  father  must  do  as  he  thinks  best  about  that," 
replied  Bessie,  decidedly. 

"You  don't  understand  your  situation,  I  see,"  add- 
ed the  cajitain.  "  It  is  impossible  for  you  to  escape 
from  the  vessel,  and  if  your  father  does  not  pay  the 
money,  you  will  go  to  Australia  with  us." 

"My  father  will  do  what  is  best,"  repeated  Bessie. 

"Very  well,"  added  Captain  Gauley,  sourly.  "If 
your  father  is  not  wiser  than  you  are,  you  may  spend 
the  rest  of  your  days  in  Australia." 

Bessie  made  no  reply,  but  folded  and  directed  her 
letter.  It  was  plain  now  that  Dock  was  to  levy  his 
contribution  on  Mr.  Watson  before  he  came  on  board. 
This  out-of-the-way  place  had  been  selected,  where  no 
one  would  be  likely  to  hear  of  her,  for  the  vessel  to 
remain  until  Dock  could  obtain  his  money.  Captain 
Gauley  went  off  in  a  boat,  with  one  man,  leaving  the 
schooner  in  charge  of  Mat  Mogmore.  He  did  not 
return  till  night ;  but  Bessie,  though  she  considered 
-prions  plans  to  escape  from  the  vessel,  was  satisfied 
that  nothing  could  be  done,  for  Mat  watched  her  all 
the  time.  Pier  only  hoj^e  was,  that  she  might  induce 
one  of  the  sailors  to  assist  her  by  promising  him  a  large 


HALF   EOUND    THE   WORLD.  237 

sum  of  money ;  but  her  vigilant  guardian  would  not 
permit  her  to  speak  to  any  man  on  board.  If  one  of 
the  seamen  came  aft,  he  was  ordered  forward ;  and 
Bessie's  hope  faded  away. 

The  Caribbee  remained  for  ten  days  in  the  vicinity 
of  Sandy  Hook,  changing  her  anchorage  several  times. 
Every  day,  either  Mat  Mogmore  or  Captain  Gauley 
went  on  shore,  evidently  expecting  to  see  Dock,  or 
to  hear  from  him.  Bessie  watched  in  vain  for  an  op- 
portmrity  to  make  a  friend  of  one  of  the  sailors,  or 
to  hail  a  passing  boat ;  but  so  carefully  was  she 
guarded,  that  all  hope  in  this  direction  was  cut  off. 
She  began  to  wish  that  her  father  would  pay  the 
money,  for  this  seemed  to  be  her  only  chance  of 
escape.  Dock's  non-appearance  indicated  that  his  lit- 
tle plan  was  not  working  as  well  as  he  had  expected, 
and  Mrs.  Vincent  and  Bessie  saw  that  Captain  Gauley 
and  Mat  were  becoming  very  anxious. 

On  the  tenth  day  after  the  arrival  of  the  Caribbee, 
Mat  Mogmore,  who  had  been  on  shore,  returned  with 
a  letter,  directed,  in  a  strange  hand,  to  Captain  Gauley. 
He  opened  it  in  the  cabin.  It  contained  but  a  few 
lines,  which   he  read   and   then  hastened   upon  deck, 


238  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

leaving  the  letter  on  the  table.  The  rattling  of  ropes 
and  the  flapping  of  sails  were  immediately  heard ; 
and  it  was  plain  to  Bessie  that  the  vessel  was  getting 
under  way. 

"I  wonder  what  is  to  be  done  now,"  said  Mrs.  Yin- 
cent,  coming  out  of  her  state-room. 

"  I  don't  know.  Captain  Gauley  read  the  letter 
which  lies  on  the  table,  and  then  hurried  on  deck," 
replied  Bessie. 

"  A  letter !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Vincent,  who  was  con- 
tinually on  the  lookout  for  news ;  for  she  was  hardly 
less  a  prisoner  than  Bessie. 

She  took  it  from  the  table,  and  without  hesitation 
ojoened  it. 

"It  is  from  my  husband,"  said  she,  glancing  at  the 
signature.  "  Things  are  going  wrong  with  me,  and 
you  will  sail  for  Australia  without  me,"  she  read, 
"  the  moment  you  get  this  letter.  Keep  things  as 
before,  and  do  not  let  any  one  leave  the  vessel.  If 
you  don't  do  this,  my  only  chance  is  lost.  Be  care- 
ful, for  they  are  after  you.  I  shall  get  the  money, 
and  go  to  Australia  by  steamer  from  England,  -and 
shall  probably  be  there  before  you." 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  239 

"  Then  we  are  actually  starling  for  Australia ! "  ex- 
claimed Bessie,  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"I  suppose  so." 

Bessie  went  into  her  state-room  and  wept  bitterly, 
as  all  hope  deserted  her.  She  cried,  and  she  prayed, 
and  then  endeavored  to  reconcile  herself  anew  to  her 
situation.  The  sails  were  hoisted,  and  the  Caribbee 
was  standing  out  to  sea. 

CajDtain  Gauley  was  at  the  helm,  and  Mat  Mogmore 
was  at  his  side,  talking  with  him  about  the  pros- 
pect. 

"  If  he  wrote  a  letter  at  all,  he  ought  to  have  told 
us  all  about  it,"  said  Mat,  disappointed  at  the  meagre- 
ness  of  the  news  from  Dock. 

"He  says  things  are  going  against  him." 

"And  he  says  they  are  after  us;  but  he  don't  say 
who,  nor  what,"  added  Mat.  "I  would  like  to  know 
what  has  gone  wrong,  and  who  is  after  us." 

"  Do  you  see  that  schooner  on  the  weather  bow  ?  " 
said  Captain  Gauley,  pointing  to  a  trim-looking  craft. 
"  She  has  an  eye  on  us,  and  we  must  give  her  a  wide 
berth.  She  came  about  just  now,  and  is  running 
across  our  fore-foot." 


240  FBEAKS    OF   FOETUJSTE,   OE 

"  That's  the  yacht,  as  true  as  I  live ! "  exclaimed 
Mat,  when  he  discovered  her. 

"What  yacht?" 

"The  Starry  Flag!" 

She  had  been  standing  off  and  on  between  Sandy 
Hook  and  Coney  Island  for  twenty-four  hours,  on  the 
lookout  for  the  Caribbee. 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WOULD.  241 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    TRAVELLER   WHO    LOST    HIS    WAY. 

THE  steward  of  the  yacht  watched  the  house  of 
Mr.  Fairfield  all  night  l  but  no  one  entered  or 
left  it.  Levi  took  his  turn  the  next  day  again;  and, 
when  he  proposed  to  employ  a  fresh  hand  for  the 
second  night,  Augustus  insisted  upon  serving,  himself. 
He  had  slept  enough  during  the  day,  and  he  wanted 
the  satisfaction  of  capturing  Dock,  if  he  presented 
himself 

This  time  he  was  in  luck,  as  he  declared,  for  about 
one  o'clock  at  night,  when  the  town  was  as  still  as 
though  it  contained  not  a  single  living  inhabitant,  the 
villain  came  to  obtain  his  money,  probably  not  doubt- 
ing that  by  this  time  it  had  been  paid  to  his  agent. 

The  steward  had  stationed  himself  in  such  a  posi- 
tion that  no  one  could  approach  the  house  unseen  by 
him.  Just  after  the  clock  on  one  of  the  churches  had 
16 


242  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

struck  one,  he  heard  footsteps  on  the  road,  and  pres- 
ently a  man  stopped  in  front  of  the  miser's  house. 
Contrary  to  the  usual  custom  of  rogues  and  villains, 
he  went  up  to  the  front  door,  and  knocked  vigorously. 
The  heart  of  the  watcher  leaped  with  expectation, 
and  he  crept  like  a  cat  on  the  grass  till  he  had  ob- 
tained a  position  behind  a  lilac  bush,  near  the  front 
door.  The  first  summons  of  the  unseasonable  visitor 
did  not  procure  a  response  from  within,  and  the  man 
knocked  again. 

Though  the  vigilant  sentinel  did  not  recognize  his 
cowardly  enemy,  he  had  no  doubt  -it  was  he.  The 
form  was  about  the  height  of  Dock,  but  aj:>peared  to 
be  better  dressed  than  when  he  had  seen  the  ruffian. 
Who  else  should  go  to  the  house  of  the  miser  at 
that  unseemly  hour? 

"  Who's  there  ?  "  called  Mr.  Fan-field,  with  his  im- 
patient whine,  as  he  threw  oj)en  one  of  the  windows 
of  his  chamber.    • 

"I've  got  lost,  and  I  want  some  one  to  show  me 
the  way  to  Gloucester,"  replied  the  visitor,  in  a  tone 
so  different  from  the  voice  of  Dock  that  Augustus 
did  not  recognize  it,  and  began  to  fear  that  the  villain 


HALF    KOUXD    TILTS    WOELD.  243 

was  not  within  his  reach,  as  he  had  confidently  be- 
lieved. 

"Got  lost  —  have  you?  "Well,  take  the  right  hand 
road  out  by  the  school-'us,"  added  the  miser,  not  so 
sourly  as  most  people  would  have  spoken  when  roused 
from  their  sleep  to  direct  a  night  traveller. 

"There  are  two  or  three  roads  there,  and  I  can't 
afford  to  go  much  out  of  my  way.  Come  out  and 
show  me,  and  I'll  pay  you  for  your  trouble."     ■ 

This  was  quite  enough  for  the  miser,  and  he  prom- 
ised to  come.  The  caller  stepped  out  into  the  road, 
and  Augustus  crouched  down  under  the  lilac  bushes 
to  escape  observation.  In  a  few  moments  Mr.  Fair- 
field appeared,  muffled  up  in  a  ragged  overcoat. 

"Well,  Squire  Fairfield,  what's  the  news?"  de- 
manded  the  visitor,  when  the  old  man  joined  him. 

If  the  steward  had  any  doubts  before,  he  had  none 
now.  It  was  Dock  Vincent  beyond  a  peradventure, 
and  his  voice  sounded  as  natural  as  on  former  occa- 
sions. It  was  plain  that  the  bewildered  traveller  was 
a  myth  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs.  Fairfield,  who,  being 
"women  folks,"  and  not  understanding  business,  was 
not  permitted  to  share  the  heavy  secrets  of  her  hus- 


244  FEEAKS    OF   FOETUXE,    OR 

band,    especially    on    the    present    momentous    occa- 
sion. 

"There  ain't  nothin'  at  all  for  news,"  replied  the. 
old  man,  as  he  glanced  at  the  house,  as  if  to  assure, 
himself  that  his  wife  was  not  watching  him. 

"No  news?"  exclaimed  Dock.  "Hasn't  "Watson 
come  done  with  the  money  yet?" 

"  No ;  nor  that  ain't  the  wust  on't,  nuther.  I  don'te 
believe  he  will." 

"  O,  yes,  he  will !  "  replied  Dock,  confidently.     "  I've 
got  things  fixed  this  time  so  that  he  can't  help  plank 
ing  down  the  money.     He'll  be  glad  to  pay  it,  I  ca^ 
tell  you." 

"What  have  you  done  with  the  gal,  cap'n?" 

"  We've  got  her ;  and  Watson  never  '11  see  her 
again  unless   he   pays  the  money  —  that's  so." 

"  But  he  won't  pay  it ;  and  I  ain't  go'n'  to  git  my 
share  on't  at  all,"  whined  the  miser. 

"Yes,  you  will;  don't  be  alarmed,  Squire  Fair- 
field." 

"  They've  sent  a  steamer  off  arter  the  vessel." 

"Have  they,  though?" 

"Yes,  they  have;  and  Gayles  has  gone  in  her." 


HALF    KOUXD    THE    WOBLD.  245 

"All  riglit;  the  steamer '11  cost  some  money,  and 
won't  do  any  good.  She'll  come  back  without  the 
girl.  My  vessel  isn't  a  great  ways  from  Hew  York, 
and  when  I  say  the  word  she'll  start,  whether  I  go 
in  her  or  not.  I  tell  yon,  Mr.  Watson  will  be  glad 
to  pay  the  money  before  many  days.  He  don't  un- 
derstand the  matter  yet.  I'll  come  again  in  two  or 
three  days;  and  I  reckon  you'll  have  the  money 
next  time  I    come." 

"Where  are  you  stoppin'  now?"  asked  Mr.  Fair- 
field. 

"  Nowhere  in  these  parts ;  but  I'll  be  here  in  two 
or  three   days." 

"But  Watson  won't  pay  that  money,  no  more'n 
4iothin'  in  the  world." 

"  Yes,  he  will.  He  can't  help  doing  it,  if  he  wants 
iris  daughter  again.     Where's  Levi  now?" 

"  He's'  round  here ;  but  what  am  I  go'n'  to  do  for 
What  you  owe  me,  if  Watson  don't  pay  the  money?" 
asked  the  old  man,  anxiously. 

"I'll  pay  it  all  just  as  I  agreed  to  do.  Now  go  to 
bed  again,  Squire  Fairfield,  or  your  wife  will  be  out 
looking  for  you." 


246  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

"  But  I  want  to  know  sunthin  more  about  this 
business." 

"You  mustn't  know  any  more  than  you  do.  I 
didn't  mean  you  should  know  anything  about  it.  I 
never  told  you  anything.  When  you  get  the  money, 
you  hold  on  to  it  till  I  come.  I  don't  know  as  it's 
quite  safe  for  me  io  conic  here  again,  even  in  the 
night.     I  guess  we'll  fix  it  some  other  way." 

Dock  did  "fix  it  some  other  way"  —  it  is  of  no 
consequence  how. 

"  After  I  get  this  money,  and  get  all  ready  to  start, 
I'm  going  to  settle  up  matters  with  Levi  and  that 
nigger  before  I  go.  I  expect  I  shall  kill  that  nigger 
if  I  ever  see  him  again." 

"  Shall  you  ?  Then  now's  your  time ! "  yelled  Mr. 
C.  Augustus  Ebenier,  as  he  sprang  from  his  covert, 
and  rushed  upon  his   enemy. 

Dock  Vincent  was  startled,  as  a  braver  man  than 
he  might  have  been  under  such  circumstances;  but 
the  steward  did  not  permit  him  to  recover  his  self- 
possession.  With  an  oak  stick  he  carried  in  his 
hand,  he  dealt  a  heavy  blow  upon  the  head  of  the 
villain.     But  his  cranium  seemed  to  be  made  of  more 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  247 

solid  material  than  his  African  assailant's,  for  he  at- 
tempted to  rise,  when  the  steward  repeated  the  stroke 
so  effectually  that  he  lay  still  on  the  ground. 

"  Don't  !  Don't  !  "  pleaded  Mr.  Fairfield,  terrified 
by  the  tragic  event.  "Don't  tech  him  ag'in.  Let 
him  be." 

But  Dock  was  not  deprived  of  his  consciousness 
even  by  the  severe  blows  he  had  received,  and  again 
he  attempted  to  rise. 

"  Lay  still !  If  you  don't  there'll  be  a  dead  man 
not  far  from  here,"  said  the  steward,  as  he  took  his 
revolver  from  his  pocket. 

Dock  saw  it,  and  dared  not  move. 

"Don't  tech  him  no  more.     Let  him  go  now." 

"  Not  if  I  know  it !  Allow  me  to  insinuate,  in 
the  most  direct  manner  possible,  that  this  man  is  my 
prisoner;  and  if  he  don't  spend  the  rest  of  his  days 
in  the  state  prison,  it  will  be  an  outrage  upon  human- 
ity," added  the  steward. 

"Don't  tech  him  no  more.  Let  him  go.  I'll  give 
you  twenty-five  cents  if  you  will,"  whined  the  miser, 
who  had  to  open  his  heart  very  wide  to  make  this 
liberal  offer. 


248  FREAKS    OF   FORTUHE,    OF. 

"  He  is  going  to  jail,  if  there  is  such  an  institu- 
tion in  these  parts,"  replied  Augustus. 

"  I'll  give  you  fifty  cents  if  you'll  let  him  go," 
pleaded  Mr.  Fairfield. 

"  If  you  would  give  me  fifty  thousand  dollars,  I 
wouldn't  let  him  go,"  replied  the  steward.  "Do  you 
think  I  would  sell  my  own  soul  for  money?" 

Augustus,  with  the  revolver  in  his  right  hand,  felt 
in  all  the  pockets  of  his  prostrate  enemy  for  danger- 
ous weapons,  but  he  found  none. 

"Now  get  up,"  said  he. 

Dock  obeyed,  in  momentary  fear  that  one  of  the 
pistol  balls  would  be  spinning  through  his  head. 

"Do  you  know  where  Mr.  Watson's  house  is?" 
continued  he. 

"I  do,"  replied  Dock. 

"  Then  march ;  and  if  you  turn  to  the  right  or  the 
left,  or  attempt  any  irregular  proceeding,  I  promise 
you,  on  the  honor  of  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier,  that 
I  will  give  you  the  benefit  of  every  bullet  this  pistol 
contains,  six  in  number,  by  actual  count.     Forward !  " 

Dock  marched  in  the  direction  indicated ;  he  could 
not  help  doing  so,  bitter  as  the   necessity  was.    Mr. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  249 

Fairfield  followed,  begging  and  pleading  with  all  his 

eloquence,  and  even  offering  as  high  as  a  dollar  for 
the  release  of  his  friend. 

"  Old  man,  return  to  your  humble  abode,  and  give 
up  your  weary  frame  to  the  arms  of  Morpheus,"  said 
Augustus,  when  his  patience  was  exhausted.  "  In 
other  words,  venerable   sir,  go  home,  and  go  to  bed." 

The  miser  was  terribly  stricken  by  the  sudden  mis- 
fortune of  Dock ;  not  from  sympathy,  bat  because  it 
foreboded  the  loss  of  the  money  the  prisoner  owed 
him.  It  is  possible  that  he  had  some  fear  of  being 
compromised  before  the  courts.  If  he  had,  it  was  over- 
borne by  the  greater  dread  of  losing  his  money.  He 
could  not  willingly  return ;  and  it  was  only  when 
the  steward  threatened  him  with  the  terrible  pistol 
that  he  did  so. 

Augustus  walked  about  six  feet  behind  his  victim 
till  he  came  to  Mr.  Watson's  house,  and  then  direct- 
ed him  to  go  up  to  the  side  door. 

"  Ring  the  bell ! "  said  the  steward,  in  the  stern 
tones  of  command.- 

"  See  here,  steward,  can't  we  arrange  this  thing," 
replied  Dock,  turning  to  his  remorseless  captor. 


250  FEEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OH 

"  Ring  the  bell !     We'll  arrange  it  in  the  court." 

Dock  rang  the  bell.  Little  did  the  father  and 
mother  of  Bessie  sleep  while  she  was  away  from  them, 
and  they  heard  the  bell  the  first  time  it  was  rung. 

"  Who's  there  ?  "  called  Mr.  Watson  from  a  second- 
story  window. 

"  Augustus,  sir,"  replied  the  steward,  in  the  mildest 
of  tones.  u  There's  a  gentleman  here  to  see  you, 
sir." 

"  I  will  be  down  in  a  moment ; "  and  presently  a 
light  appeared  in  the  dining-room. 

"  Walk  in,"  said  Mr.  Watson,  opening  the  door. 

"  Walk  in !  "  repeated  Augustus,  in  stern  tones. 

Dock  followed  the  merchant  into  the  dining-room, 
closely  attended  by  his  guard. 

"Yin  cent!  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Watson,  when  he  turned 
to  see  who  his  midnight  visitor  was. 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  steward.  "You  wTill  par- 
don me  for  bringing  him  here,  sir;  but  I  did  not 
know  what  else  to  do  with  him." 

"  Yincent,  where  is  my  daughter  ? "  demanded  the 
merchant,  earnestly. 

"  She   is   on   her   way  to  Australia,"   replied  Dock, 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WORLD.  251 

who  was  now  beginning  to  recover  his  self-posses- 
sion, and  to  measure  the  consequences  of  his  misfor- 
tune. 

"I  beg  to  suggest,  Mr.  Watson,  that  his  reply  is 
a  wretched  falsehood,"  interposed  the  steward.  "  I 
heard  him  tell  Mr.  Fairfield  that  his  vessel  wasn't  a 
great  ways  from  New  York." 

"  In  the  latitude  of.  New  York,  I  meant  merely. 
Mr.  Watson,  this  man  is  making  a  mess  of  it  for  yon. 
I  made  my  demand  of  you  by  letter.  Give  me  the 
money,  and  your  daughter  shall  be  restored.  If  you 
don't,  you  will  never  see  her  again,  whatever  may 
happen  to  me,"  said  Dock. 

"  Not  a  dollar  !  Not  a  penny  ! "  replied  Mr.  Wat- 
son,  with  emphasis. 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Watson.  You  will  discover  your 
mistake  soon  enough,"  added  Dock. 

"  We  want  an  officer  and  a  pair  of  handcuffs,"  said 
Mr.  Watson.  "  Can  you  keep  him  while  I  procure 
assistance  ?  " 

"  I  can,"  answered  Augustus,  confidently,  as  he  dis- 
played his  pistol. 


252  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    Oil 

Mr.  Watson  called  his  two  men,  and  sent  one  of 
them  for  Constable  Cooke,  who  was  the  only  officer 
available  at  that  hour  of  the  night.  He  came,  and 
the  villain  was  ironed.  The  constable  and  the  stew- 
ard kept  guard  over  him  till  morning. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  253 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OFF    SAKDY    HOOK. 

LEVI  did  not  learn  that  the  great  enemy  had 
been  captured  till  he  went  up  in  the  morning 
to  relieve  the  steward ;  but  the  news  was  spreading 
rapidly,  and  it  came  to  his  ear  before  he  reached  his 
station.  He  hastened  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Watson, 
where  Constable  Cooke  and  the  steward  still  kept 
vigil  over  the  fallen  foe.  The  officer  evidently  did 
not  relish  his  employment;  but  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebe- 
nier  had  jjroved  that  he  was  a  first-class  tiger,  as  well 
as  an  exquisite  of  the  first  water. 

Mr.  Watson  had  another  interview  with  the  wretch 
as  soon  as  Levi  arrived;  but  Dock  Vincent  was  as 
obstinate  as  a  mule.  He  took  no  pains  to  conceal 
the  fact  that  he  enjoyed  the  distress  of  the  suffering 
father  and  the  intense  anxiety  of  Levi.  The  prisoner 
was  to  be   examined   before    Squire   Saunders  during 


254  FREAKS    OP   FOETUXE,    OE 

the  forenoon,  and  it  was  hoped  that  some  develop- 
ment of  the  plan  of  the  conspirator  would  be  obtained. 

By  the  morning  train  came  Mr.  Gayles.  .  The  steam- 
er sent  in  pursuit  of  the  Caribbee  had  returned  to 
Boston  in  the  night.  Of  course  she  had  not  seen  or 
heard  of  the  vessel,  which  had  gone  through  Vine- 
yard Sound,  while  the  steamer  followed  the  track' of 
ships  bound  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

"  Has  he  been  searched  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Gayles,  when 
•  he  had  reported  the  result  of  his  mission  to  his  em- 
ployer. 

"  No ;  I  proposed  it  to  Mr.  Cooke,  but  he  declined 
to  do  it  until  a  warrant  had  been  obtained,"  replied 
Mr.  Watson. 

"  It  should  be  done  at  once ; "  and  Mr.  Gayles 
hastened  to  attend  to  this  important  duty. 

Dock  blustered,  and  attempted  to  resist  the  indig- 
nity, as  he  termed  it;  but  the  constable  was  deter- 
mined, and  heeded  not  the  prisoner's  protest  or  his 
struggles.  On  his  person  was  found  a  variety  of 
papers,  and  among  them  the  letter  which  Captain 
Gauley  had  written  in  the  cabin  of  the  Caribbee.  But 
this  document  had  no  signature,  and  was  hardly  more 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  255 

satisfactory  than  the  letter  which  Mr.  Watson  had 
received  from  Bessie ;  at  least  it  contained  no  accu- 
rate information.  One  sentence,  however,  was  suffi- 
ciently definite  to  make  a  beginning  upon.  "  We  are 
somewhere  inside  of  Sandy  Hook,  ready  to  go  to  sea 
at  a  moment's  notice,"  Captain  Gauley  wrote.  "  You 
know  where  to  leave  a  letter  in  New  York,  when 
you  are  ready  to  go  on  board ;  and  one  of  us  goes 
up  to  the  city  every  day  now." 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  Dock,  maliciously.  "  You  can't 
find  the  Caribbee.  Mr.  Watson,  I  may  rot  in  jail; 
but  you  will  never  see  your  daughter  again  if  you 
go  on  with  this  matter.  If  you  want  to  get  her  back, 
pay  me  the  money  I  ask,  let  me  go,  and  you  shall 
have  her  in  a  week." 

"  I  will  not  pay  you  a  dollar,"  replied  Mr.  Watson, 
firmly. 

"  All  right,"  added  Dock,  with  a  sneer.  "  You  will 
wish  you  had  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two.  I 
know  what  I'm  about  this  time." 

Mr.  Watson,  Mr.  Gayles,  and  Levi  went  to  anoth- 
er room  to  consider  the  situation,  leaving  Constable 
Cooke  in  charge  of  the  prisoner. 


256  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"  Cooke,  do  you  want  to  make  a  hundred  dollars 
easy?"  said  Dock,  in  a  whisper. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  officer.  "I  can't  com- 
promise myself." 

"You  run  no  risk,"  added  Dock,  as  he  wrote  with 
a  pencil,  on  half  a  sheet  of  note  paper,  the  letter 
which  Captain  Gauley  received  just  before  the  Carib- 
bee  sailed.  "  Put  this  in  an  envelope,  direct  it  to 
Captain  John  Gauley,  care  of  E.  G.  Baines  &  Co., 
No.  —  Maiden  Lane,  New  York,  and  put  it  into  the 
post  office.     That's  all ;  and  here  is  a  hundred  dollars." 

Constable  Cooke  took  the  note  and  the  money. 
Dock  wrote  the  direction  for  the  letter  on  a  piece  of 
paper.  He  thrust  the  whole  into  his  pocket.  He  had 
his  doubts,  as  well  he  might,  about  the  propriety  of 
mailing  the  letter. 

Levi,  from  the  information  obtained,  was  satisfied 
that  the  Caribbee  was  at  anchor  in  one  of  the  seclud- 
ed inlets  below  New  York,  waiting  for  Dock  to  join 
her.  It  was  not  likely  that  she  would  go  to  sea  with- 
out her  owner,  whose  family  were  on  board  of  her. 

"Dock  says  she  will  go  to  Australia,  whether  he 
joins  her  or  not,"  said  Mr.  Gayles. 


HALF  KOUNT>  THE  WORLD.  257 

"  She  will  not  sail  till  those  on  board  have  heard 
from  Dock.  "We  must  take  care  that  he  does  not 
send  any  letter  or  message,"  added  Levi. 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  better  to  let  him  do  so,  if 
we  could  only  stop  the  letter  at  the  post  office." 

"  But  we  don't  know  who  has  charge  of  the  vessel. 
It  is  plain  that  he  has  a  captain  on  board  of  her; 
15ut  he  does  not  sign  his  name  to  the  letter  we  found 
upon  Dock,"  interposed  Mr.  "Watson. 

"Don't  let  him  send  any  letters,"  persisted  Levi. 
"Then  the  Caribbee  will  stay  where  she  is  till  we 
find  her." 

"  That  is  the  better  way,"  replied  Mr.  "Watson. 

"Perhaps  it  is,"  said  Mr.  Gayles.  "But  it  would 
clo  no  harm  to  ask  the  postmaster  to  stop  any  letter 
to  Mat  Mogmore,  for  instance." 

"Mat  Mogmore  did  not  take  that  vessel  round  to 
New  York,"  added  Levi.  "There  is  a  bigger  man 
than  he  on  board  of  her,  and  we  don't  know  his  name. 
"We  can't  do  anything  in  this  way,  unless  we  stop  all 
the  letters  directed  to  the  vicinity  of  New  York." 

"  Doesn't  this  man's  name  appear  in  any  of  Dock's 
papers  ?  " 

17 


258  FREAKS   OF   FORTUNE,   OK 

" No ;  I  have  looked  in  vain  for  it." 

"Mr.  Watson,"  said  Levi,  suddenly  springing  to 
his  feet,  "I  am  sure  I  can  find  Bessie." 

Both  Mr.  Watson  and  Mr.  Gayles  looked  at  him 
with  interest.  He  had  done  a  similar  work  once 
before,  and  his  confident  expression  was  entitled  to 
respect. 

"  I  am  as  sure  as  I  want  to  be  that  the  Caribbel 
is  anchored  somewhere  in  New  York  Bay.  Dock's 
letter  says  so.  He  sent  her  there,  intending  to  join 
her  as  soon  as  he  had  collected  his  black  mail.  The 
facts  and  the  theory  agree  with  each  other." 

"Admit  what  you  say,"  added  Mr.  Watson,  "and 
there  is  no  doubt  of  it.    What  shall  we  do  ? " 

"I  will  go  to  New  York  in  The  Starry  Flag.  I 
can  tell  the  Caribbee  as  far  as  I  can  see  her,  by  night 
or  by  day.  I  will  stand  off  and  on  by  Sandy  Hook, 
so  that  she  cannot  pass  me  You  and  Mr.  Gayles 
shall  go  to  New  York  to-night,  charter  a  small  steam- 
er, and  explore  all  the  inlets  and  bays  below  the 
city  till  you  find  her." 

"  She  may  escape  before  you  get  there,"  suggested 
Mr.  Gayles. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  259 

"No;  she  will  wait  till  she  hears  from  Dock." 

"  It  may  get  into  the  newspapers." 

"We  will  see  that  it  does  not." 

Various  objections  to  Levi's  plan  were  considered ; 
but  it  was  adopted  without  material  alteration.  Mr. 
Watson  thought  it  would  be  better  to  charter  a  steam- 
er in  New  York  for  Levi's  use ;  but  he  preferred  the 
yacht.  She  would  be  under  his  control,  and  at  the 
critical  moment  would  not  be  out  of  coal,  or  her  ma- 
chinery out  of  order. 

Levi  determined  to  sail  as  soon  as  the  examination 
of  Dock  Vincent  was  finished.  He  engaged  three 
extra  hands,  and  put  provisions  and  water  enough  on 
board  to  meet  any  emergency,  in  case  the  cruise 
should  be  unexpectedly  prolonged.  He  was  confident 
that  his  plan  could  not  fail;  and  if  Constable  Cooke 
had  not  been  unfit  for  a  place  of  trust,  probably  it 
would  not  have  failed,  either  in  whole  or  in  part. 

Mr.  Fairfield  was  arrested,  and  at  ten  o'clock  both 
he  and  Dock  were  arraigned  for  examination.  The 
old  man  was  dreadfully  alarmed.  With  the  arrest  of 
Dock  his  fondest  hopes  had  gone  out  in  darkness. 
Not  only  was  the  rich  reward  he  had  been  promised 


260  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

forever  lost,  but  his  neighbor's  note  for  ten  thousand 
dollars  was  not  worth  the  paper  on  which  it  was 
written.  Though  the  conspirator  did  not  yet  believe 
that  his  plan  had  failed,  the  old  man  did. 

Dock  was  held  on  a  complaint  of  kidnapping  Bessie 
Watson,  and  an  attempt  to  extort  money  from  her 
father.  The  evidence,  including  Dock's  letter  and  the 
absence  of  Bessie,  was  more  than  enough  to  hold 
him,  and  he  was  committed  for  trial.  The  testimony 
was  strong  enough  to  hold  Mr.  Fairfield,  and  he  also 
was  committed ;  but  Mr.  Watson,  out  of  considera- 
tion for  the  poor  old  man,  procured  bail  for  him.  It 
was  in  vain  he  protested  that  he  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  affair,  and  knew  nothing  about  it.  His  mid- 
night meeting  with  Dock  Vincent  condemned  him. 

The  deputy  sheriff  bore  Dock  to  the  jail ;  for  Mr. 
Gayles  suggested  that  Constable  Cooke's  fingers  were 
slippery,  though  he  did  not  know  that  they  had  al- 
ready been  soiled  by  a  bribe.  Levi  hastened  on  board 
of  the  yacht  as  soon  as  the  case  had  been  disposed 
of,  where  his  crew  had  made  every  preparation  for 
the  intended  cruise — how  long  it  was  to  be  they 
knew  not  then.     The  wind  was  bio  win  g  a  smashing 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  261 

breeze  when  she  sailed,  and  in  forty  hours  she  was 
off  Sandy  Hook.  Mr.  Watson  and  Mr.  Gayles  ar- 
rived a  day  earlier,  but  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to 
commence  the  search  till  the  next  day,  fearful  that 
the  Caribbee  might  slip  away  before  the  yacht  ar- 
rived; but  they  were  not  idle.  They  visited  all  the 
small  ports  in  the  vicinity ;  but  Captain  Gauley  kept 
the  vessel  away  from  any  harbor. 

Constable  Cooke  could  not  settle  his  mind  in  re- 
gard to  the  letter  in  his  pocket,  and  he  kept  it  there 
till  the  day  after  the  examination.  Mr.  Watson  and 
Mr.  Gayles  had  both  neglected,  and  even  snubbed 
him.  They  did  not  ask  his  advice ;  they  did  not 
employ  him  to  assist  in  the  search.  They  had  gone 
off  without  him,  and  he  saw  no  chance  to  make  any 
money  with  the  information  in  his  possession.  If 
Mr.  Watson  wanted  Mr.  Gayles  to  do  his  business 
for  him,  he  might  employ  him.  Mr.  Cooke  enclosed 
the  pencilled  note,  directed  it,  and  then  mailed  it  in 
Gloucester. 

Mr.  Watson  commenced  his  search  in  the  steamer 
he  had  engaged  for  the  purpose.  He  went  a  dozen 
miles  up  North  River,  examining  every  vessel  in  the 


262  FEEAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OB 

stream,  passed  down  the  bay,  through  The  Kills,  up 
Newark  Bay,  through  Staten  Island  Sound  to  Am- 
boy,  scoured  Raritan  Bay  and  River,  without  suc- 
cess, and  thus  used  up  the  first  day  of  the  search. 
The  next  day  —  that  on  which  Mat  Mogmore  went 
to  the  city  and  brought  off  the  letter  —  she  followed 
East  River  to  Throg's  Point ;  ran  into  Harlem  River, 
Flushing  Bay,  and  all  the  inlets,  examining  the  Long 
Island  shore  as  far  as  Rockaway,  but  with  no  better 
results  than  on  the  preceding  day.  Off  Coney  Island 
she  spoke  The  Starry  Flag.  The  captain  of  the 
steamer  was  confident  that  the  Caribbee  was  not  in 
the  vicinity ;  it  was  more  probable  that  she  had  come 
through  the  Sound,  and  put  into  Cow  Bay,  or  some 
other  waters  beyond  Throg's  Point;  and  the  steam- 
er returned  to  the  city,  to  renew  the  search  on  the 
third  day. 

Captain  Gauley  changed  his  anchorage  every  day 
or  two.  On  the  first  clay  he  had  been  behind  Coney 
Island,  but  had  moved  over  to  a  point  south  of  Staten 
Island  that  evening,  and  thus,  by  accident,  escaped 
discovery. 

Mat  brought  the  letter   to  him,  and  the   Caribbee 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOBLD.  2G3 

went  to  sea  instantly;  but  it  was  only  to  encounter 
The  Starry  Flag,  lying  in  wait  for  her.  The  quick 
eye  of  Levi  immediately  recognized  her,  and  his  or- 
ders to  come  about  were  given  in  sharp,  quick  tones. 
He  was  excited ;  Bessie  was  almost  within  hail  of 
him ;  indeed,  he  saw  her  standing  on  deck,  with  Mrs. 
Vincent  and  the  children.  The  wind  was  fresh,  and 
the  Caribbee  had  spread  every  inch  of  her  canvas. 
Levi  arranged  his  plan  to  cut  her  off  while  she  was 
still  nearly  half  a  mile  distant  from  him. 


264  FREAKS   OF   FORTUNE,   OR 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


HALF   ROUND   THE    WORLD. 


THE  wind  was  fresh,  and  The  Starry  Flag  was 
under  easy  sail  when  the  Caiibbee  was  discov- 
ered. Though  Levi  immediately  ordered  the  foresail 
to  be  hoisted,  he  saw,  with  intense  chagrin,  that  the 
advantage  was  against  him.  He  had  hauled  down 
the  fly,  and  he  hoped,  as  Dock  Vincent  was  not  on 
board  of  the  Caribbee,  that  her  people  would  not 
recognize  the  yacht.  The  wind  was  east,  and  the 
vessel  was  beating  out,  while  The  Starry  Flag  had  the 
wind  on  the  beam. 

Levi,  trusting  that  his  craft  would  not  be  identified, 
intended  to  crowd  the  Caribbee  so  as  to  oblige  her  to 
tack,  and  then,  while  she  was  in  stays,  to  lay  along- 
side, and  board  her.  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier  stood, 
with  his  revolver  in  his  hand,  ready  to  follow  his 
"excellent  captain,"  who  was  similarly  armed,  to  the 


half  round  thti:  world.  265 

deck  of  the  chase.  Three  other  men  were  also  de- 
tailed to  join  the  party,  though  Levi  did  not  expect 
much,  if  any,  resistance. 

The  young'  shipper  kept  out  of  sight  himself  that 
he  might  not  he  recognized  before  the  decisive  mo- 
ment came.  His  heart  hounded  with  excitement* 
He  saw  Bessie  standing  on  the  deck  with  Dock's 
wife,  and  a  few  moments  more  would  restore  her  to 
him,  and  lie  should  have  the  proud  satisfaction  of 
sailing  up  New  York  Bay,  and  giving  her  back  to  her 
father.  The  steward  was  ready  to  do  greater  won- 
ders than  ever  before.  Thus  far  he  had  done  all  the 
hard  fighting,  and  he  was  prepared  to  do  it  unto  the 
end. 

The  decisive  moment  did  not  come  then.  The 
quick  eye  of  Mat  Mogmore  had  recognized  the  yacht, 
and  the  Caribbee  suddenly  tacked,  and  stood  away  to 
the  south-east.  But  Levi  did  not  give  up  the  chase. 
He  had  the  weather-gage,  and  his  foresail  was  now 
drawing  well.  In  spite  of  Dock's  brags  about  the 
speed  of  his  vessel,  the  young  skipper  believed  the 
yacht  would  outsail  her;  but  this  was  only  a  blind 
confidence. 


286  FREAKS    OP   FORTUNE,    OR 

The  Caribbee  was  Leaded  directly  towards  a  shoal 
j)lace  called  the  "  Oil  Spot,"  and  as  it  was  dead  low 
tide,  Levi  thought  she  could  not  pass  over  it.  Far- 
ther to  the  southward  was  a  ledge,  with  only  nine 
feet  of  water  on  it.  But  Captain  Gauley  knew  all 
about  the  dangers  of  the  navigation  on  this  part  of 
the  coast.  He  went  just  to  the  southward  of  the  Oil 
Spot ;  and,  instead  of  gaining  anything,  Levi  was 
obliged,  to  keep  away,  and  lose  the  weather-gage,  in 
order  to  avoid  the   shoal  himself. 

He  was  disappointed  and  felt  cheap  after  his  failure. 
The  Caribbee,  close-hauled,  was  standing  off  to  the 
south-east,  while  The  Starry  Flag  was  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  astern  of  her.  Neither  had  the  advantage,  and 
it  was  still  an  open  question  which  could  make  the 
best  time.  Levi  soon  found  that  the  Caribbee  was 
running  away  from  him ;  but  she  carried  a  main  gaff- 
topsail  and  a  staysail.  Fortunately  he  had  similar 
sails  on  board,  though  he  seldom  used  them.  They 
were  set  when  the  two  vessels  were  about  a  mile 
apart. 

The  wind  held  fresh  and  steady,  and  Levi  was  happy 
when  he  realized  that  the   Caribbee  was   no  longer 


HALF    HOUND    THE    WORLD.  2G7 

gaining  upon  him.  Hour  after  hour  lie  followed  her, 
without  any  perceptible  change  in  the  distance  be- 
tween them.  It  was  plain  now  that  the  two  vessels 
were  about  equally  matched,  and  day  and  night  Levi 
held  his  course.  On  the  third  day  out  he  spoke  a 
shij)  bound  to  New  York.  He  knew  what  agony 
Mr.  Watson  wTas  suffering,  and  he  wrote  two  letters 
to  him,  one  directed  to  New  York,  and  the  other  to 
Rockport.  "I  shall  follow  the  Caribbee  round  the 
world  if  necessary,  and  I  will  not  return  without 
Bessie,"  he  wrote.  These  letters  he  sent  on  board 
of  the  ship,  and  in  due  time  both  were  received  by 
Mr.  Watson. 

For  weeks  and  weeks  The  Starry  Flag  followed 
the  Caribbee ;  but  the  voyage  would  be  as  tedious  to 
the  reader  as  it  was  to  Bessie  Watson.  From  the 
summer  time,  the  yacht  went  into  the  heat  of  the 
torrid  zone,  and  from  that  to  the  spring  time  of  the 
south  temperate.  A  week  out  from  New  York  she 
encountered  a  heavy  gale,  and  lost  sight  of  the  chase ; 
but  Levi,  true  to  his  promise,  did  not  give  up  the 
pursuit,  though  he  did  not  see  the  Caribbee  again  for 
weeks.    As  the  yacht  was  getting  short  of  water  and 


268  FREAKS    OE    FORTUNE,    OR 

provisions,  he  put  in  at  the  Island  of  St.  Helena  for 
fresh  supplies,  and  learned  that  the  Caribbee  had  left 
the  port  only  the  day  before. 

Again  he  made  a  harbor  at  Cape  Town  ;  but  the 
chase  had  not  been  there.  With  fresh  provisions,  he 
sailed  again,  not  expecting  to  see  the  Caribbee  till 
he  found  her  at  Melbourne,  the  j>ort  for  which  she 
had  cleared ;  but  as  he  went  out  of  the  harbor,  he 
discovered  her  coming  in.  The  Caribbee  went  about, 
and  stood  on  her  course  again  to  the  eastward.  Levi 
was  in  high  spirits  now.  He  had  outsailed  his  rival 
from  St.  Helena.  He  had  profited  by  an  attentive 
study  of  the  current  chart,  and  gained  a  day.  Proud 
of  this  triumph  over  the  skilful  seaman  who  was  in 
charge   of  the  chase,  he  persevered  in  the  pursuit. 

Bessie  saw  The  Starry  Flag  from  the  deck  of  the 
Caribbee,  and  understood  why  Captain  Gauley  put 
about.  She  was  amazed  at  the  persistent  devotion 
of  Levi  in  following  her  so  far,  and  hope  brightened 
aid  inspired  her.  Captain  Gauley  and  Mat  laughed 
at  what  they  called  the  folly  of  Levi,  and  assured  Bes- 
sie he  would  never  find  her. 

Week  after  week  both  vessels  held  on  their  course, 


HALF   HOUND    THE    WOULD.  2G0 

through  sunshine  and  tempest.  Off  the  southern  const 
of  Australia  a  fearful  storm  burst  upon  them,  and  for 
the  third  time  since  leaving  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
they  parted  company ;  but  both  of  them  weathered 
the  tempest.  One  hundred  and  seven  days  from  New 
York,  in  the  spring  time  of  the  southern  hemisphere, 
The  Starry  Flag  was  approaching  Bass  Straits.  The 
navigation  was  difficult  and  dangerous.  Levi  had 
read  up  his  nautical  library,  and  carefully  studied  the 
charts  he  had  obtained  at  Cape  Town.  The  wind 
was  blowing  a  fresh  gale  from  the  southward  and 
westward,  and  the  young  commander  was  full  of  doubt 
and  anxiety.  The  night  was  coming  on,  with  the 
promise  of  thick  and  heavy  weather.  Another  day 
would  enable  him  to  reach  Melbourne;  but  it  was 
hazardous  to  attempt  to  thread  his  way  among  the 
rocks  and  coral  reefs  in  the  night  and  the  storm. 
Prudently,  therefore,  he  put  about,  and  stood  away  to 
the  southward,  close-hauled,  with  the  heavy  seas  wash- 
ing his  decks,  for  his  bulwarks  had  been  stove  in  the 
tempest  a  week  before. 

"  Sail,  ho ! "  shouted  the  man  on  the   lookout  for- 
ward. 


270  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

"  Where  away  ?  "  asked  Levi. 

"  On  the  weather  bow." 

"  It's  the  Caribbee  !  "  exclaimed  Levi  to  Bob  Thom- 
as, who  had  been  made  first  mate  of  the  yacht. 

"  Ay,  ay !     It  is,"  replied  the  mate. 

"She  went  to  the  southward  of  Hammetts,  while 
we  went  to  the  northward,  after  the  great  storm. 
The  southerly  current  has  carried  her  off  her  course, 
I  should  judge,"  added  Levi. 

The  captain  and  the  mate  watched  her  with  the 
most  intense  interest.  The  Caribbee  stood  on  her 
course,  and  it  was  evident  that  she  intended  to  enter 
the  Straits,  regardless  of  the  perils  before  her.  Levi 
could  not  do  less  than  follow,  reckless  as  it  seemed 
to  him.  He  did  follow ;  but  he  took  extraordinary 
precautions.  He  bent  oh  his  heavy  anchor,  and  made 
other  preparations  for  trying  events.  But  the  Carib- 
bee, instead  of  entering  the  Straits  in  the  darkness, 
stood  away  to  the  northward.  All  night  long  the 
gale  piped  its  angry  notes,  and  The  Starry  Flag  again 
lost  sight  of  the  chase  in  the  gloom. 

The  weather  moderated  in  the  morning,  though  the 
gale  only  partially  subsided.    Again  the  Caribbee  was 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  271 

discovered,  hull  down,  in  the  south.  She  was  then 
entering  the  Straits,  to  the  southward  of  King's  Island, 
where  no  prudent  navigator  would  venture  in  bad 
weather.  The  yacht  was  headed  in  that  direction, 
and  anxiously  did  Levi  watch  the  chase.  He  had  no 
intention  of  following  her  through  the  intricacies  of 
that  rock- bounded  channel.  Two  hours  later,  the  cry 
ran  through  the  yacht  that  the  Caribbee  had  struck 
on  a  hidden  reef! 

The  heart  of  the  young  skipper  was  in  his  mouth. 
Bessie  was  in  great  peril,  and  he  was  almost  distracted 
as  he  thought  of  her,  perishing  in  the  angry  waves, 
surrounded  only  by  enemies.  The  yacht  dashed 
madly  on  towards  the  scene  of  the  disaster.  Trem- 
bling with  anxiety,  Levi  went  below  to  consult  his 
chart,  which  lay  all  the  time  on  the  cabin  table.  He 
found  the  locality,  and  the  ledge  on  which  the  Carib- 
bee had  struck.  There  was  no  other  peril  very  near 
it,  and  he  stood  on  confidently  till  The  Starry  Flag 
was  within  hail  of  the  wreck,  or  would  have  been  in 
less  tempestuous  weather. 

The  foremast  of  the  Caribbee  had  gone  by  the 
board,  and  the  waves  were  making  a  clean  sweep  over 


272  FEE&KS    OF   FORTUNE,    OP. 

her  decks.  The  life-boat,  which  swung  at  the  port 
davits  of  the  yacht,  had  been  cleared  away,  in  readi- 
ness to  be  lowered.  Finding  he  had  good  holding- 
ground  under  him,  Levi  ordered  the  men  to  let  go 
the  heavy  anchor.  Fortunately  it  brought  her  up; 
but  the  other  anchor  was  also  thrown  over.  The  sails 
were  lowered,  and  the  yacht  rode  tolerably  easy.  The 
gale  was  abating,  and  Levi  was  satisfied  that  the  two 
anchors  would  hold  her, 

The  life-boat  was  manned  with  four  men,  and  Levi 
took  his  j^lace  in  the  stern-sheets.  It  was  no  easy 
matter  to  board  the  wreck  while  the  sea  was  making  a 
clean  breach  over  her.  She  had  struck  her  bow  upon 
the  sharp  rock,  and  stove  in  her  bottom.  She  had 
filled,  and  her  stern  had  settled  down,  and  the  water 
Was  over  her  taffrail,  while  her  stem  projected  up  into 
the  air.  Her  hull  had  swung  round  a  little,  so  that 
there  was  a  choice  of  sides  in  ai)proaching  her.  The 
foremast  had  been  jammed  up  by  the  breaking  of  the 
keelson  where  it  was  set,  and  hung  over  the  side.  To 
this  the  life-boat  was  made  fast,  and  Levi,  followed 
by  Bob   Thomas,  climbed  on  board. 

Crouching  under  the  lee  of  the  camboose,  the  young 


HALF   KOTJND    THE    WOULD.  273 

skipper  found  Bessie,  Mrs.  Vincent,  and  llie  two  chil- 
dren, while  the  crew  were  clinging  to  the  rigging  of 
the  bowsprit  to  prevent  being  washed  overboard. 

"  O,  Levi! "  cried  Bessie,  when  she  saw  the  manly 
form  of  her. true  friend. 

In  the  blast  and  the  spray,  Levi  -clasped  her  hands, 
and  both  of  them  wept,  It  was  more  than  three 
months  since  they  had  parted  in  the  house  of  Mr. 
Watson.  There  was  no  time  to  think  of  the  past,  or 
oven  of  the  future ;  the  present  absorbed  all  the  ener- 
gies of  the  young  seaman.  With  the  assistance  of 
Bob  Thomas,  Levi  conveyed  Bessie  along  the  fallen 
spar,  and  lowered  her  into  the  life-boat,  Mrs.  Yin- 
cent  and  her  two  children  were  assisted  Into  the  boat 
in  the  same  manner.  Mat  Mogniore  asad  two  men 
—  all  that  were  left  of  the  crew  —  were  then  permit- 
ted to  enter  the  boat,  which  pulled  fcaek  to  the 
yacht. 

With  much  difficulty,  and  the  exercise  of  no  little 
skill,  the  life-boat  was  kept  right  side  up,  and  the. 
rescued  party  were  safely  placed  on  board  of  The 
Starry  Flag,  though  the  females  had  to  fee  hoisted 
up  in  slings  over  the  stern. 
18 


274  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"You  are  safe,  Bessie,"  said  Levi,  as  he  conducted 
her  to  the  cabin. 

"Thanks  to  our  Good  Father,  and  to  you,  Levi,  I 
am!" 

"  I  have  the  inexpressible  happiness  of  greeting  you 
again,"  said  Mr.  C.  Augustus  Ebenier,  as  he  threw 
0]3en  the  door  of  her  state-room. 

The  gale  rapidly  subsided,  and  in  the  afternoon, 
after  the  wreck  had  been  boarded  again,  the  yacht 
sailed  for  Melbourne. 


HALF    HOUND    T1IE    WOULD.  275 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


A   HAPPY    REUNION. 


P^nHE  sea  in  the   Strait  was  comparatively  smooth, 

JL    and  the  yacht  sped  on  her  way  to  Melbourne. 

Mrs.  Vincent  and  her  children  had  been  installed  in 


Mr.  Watson's  state-room,  while  Bessie  occupied  her 
own.  From  her  Levi  had  obtained  all  the  particulars 
of  her  voyage.  She  told  him  what  she  had  suffered, 
what  she  had  feared,  and  what  she  had  hoped. 

"Who  had  charge  of  the  Caribbee?"  asked -Levi, 
when,  after  Bessie  and  Mrs.  Vincent  had  been  made 
comfortable,  they  gathered  in  the  cabin. 

"  Captain   Gauley,"  replied  Bessie. 

"Who  was  he?" 

"  He  was  a  pilot  on  a  steamer,"  replied  Mrs.  Vin- 
cent. "  He  and  my  husband  became  acquainted 
while  they  were  on  a  boat  near  New  York.     I  never 


276  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

saw  him  till  just  before  we  sailed  from  the  Cape. 
He  is  a  bad  man." 

"  That  is  plain  enough,"  added  Levi ;  "  but  where 
is  he  now?" 

"He  and  three  other  men  were  washed  overboard 
when  the  vessel  struck  on  the  rocks." 

"  And  three  of  the  men  were  saved  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  Mat  Mogmore,  the  steward,  and  another 
man." 

"Why  did  you  sail  without  your  husband,  Mrs. 
Vincent?"  asked  Levi. 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  this  business.  I 
hadn't  anything  to  do  with  it,"  replied  the  poor 
woman;  and  Levi  and  Bessie  pitted  her  because  she 
was  the  wife  of  such  a  bad  man. 

"I  am  sure  she  had  nothing  to  do  with  carrying 
me  off,  Levi,"  interposed  Bessie.  "  She  has  been  very 
kind  to  me  from  the  moment  I  went  on  board  of  the 
Caribbee,  and  would  have  assisted  me  to  escape,  if 
there  had  been  any  chance." 

"  I  am  very  glad  indeed  to  know  that,"  added  Levi. 
"I  don't  see  why  this  Captain  Gauley  sailed  without 
your  husband." 


HALF    EOUND    THE    WOKLD.  277 

"  Captain  Yincent  sent  a  letter  to  him,  saying  that 
things  were  going  wrong  with  him,  and  ordered  him 
to  sail   at  once." 

Levi  wondered  how  Dock  had  sent  the  letter. 
When  told  that  it  was  written  in  pencil,  and  that  the 
address  on  the  envelope  was  not  in  her  husband's 
hand,  he  was  satisfied  that  Constable  Cooke  had  ren- 
dered him  this  important  service. 

"My  husband  was  to  come  to  Australia  by  the 
steamer  from  England,"  added  Mrs.  Yincent.  "Per- 
haps he  is  here  now." 

"I  think  not,"  replied  Levi. 

"Why  so?" 

"  Because  he  was  arrested,  and  committed  to  jail 
before  I  left  the  Cape.     Augustus  caught  him." 

"I  had  that  honor,"  said  the  steward,  who  was 
standing  near  the  party;  and  the  incident  was  fully 
described. 

"I  suppose  my  poor  father  and  mother  do  not 
know  what  has  become"  of  me,"  continued  Bessie,  the 
tears  starting  to  her  eyes. 

"Yes,  they  do.  I  sent  two  letters  by  a  ship  we 
spoke.     If  this   vessel  reached  New  York,  I  am  sure 


278  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

he  knows  where  you  are.     I  wrote  him  that  I  should 
follow  you  round  the  world,  if  need  be." 

"  How  brave    and   noble  you  are,  Levi ! "  she   said, " 
bestowing  a  glance  of  admiration  upon   him.     "  And 
this   Starry  Flag    has  rendered  me   a  greater  service 
than  the  other  Starry  Flag." 

"  She  has  indeed !  She  is  the  finest  little  craft 
that  ever  floated ;  and  I  shall  love  her  as  long  as  I 
live.  In  that  great  gale  a  week  ago,  she  was  under 
water  half  the  time,  I  believe.  We  had  to  batten 
down  everything,  and  lash  ourselves  to  the  deck." 

"That  was  a  fearful  storm.  I  hope  I  shall  never 
see  another  such.  How  grateful  we  ought  to  be  for 
our  preservation ! " 

"  I  trust  we  are  grateful  to  God  for  his  goodness 
and  his  mercy,"  replied  Levi,  devoutly. 

On  the  following  day  the  yacht  took  a  pilot,  and 
came  to  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Melbourne.  Mat 
Mogmore  had  kept  out  of  sight  since  he  came  on 
board,  spending  all  his  time  in  the  forecastle ;  but 
when  the  anchor  was  dropped  he  appeared  on  deck. 

"I  think  I  will  go  on  shore  now,  Levi,"  said  he, 
with  an  assumed  coolness. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  279 

"I  think  not,"  replied  Levi,  decidedly. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  demanded  the 
young  villain. 

"  I  mean  that  you  shall  not  leave  this  vessel,  un- 
less you  leave  it  in  irons.  I  shall  state  the  case  to 
the  American  consul ;  and  I  think  you  will  return  to 
the  United  States  as  a  prisoner." 

"Why,  what  have  I  done?"  asked  Mat. 

"  What  have  you  done ! "  exclaimed  Levi,  indig- 
nantly. "  Besides  being  guilty  of  meanness  and 
treachery,  you  have  committed  a  crime  which  will 
send  you  to  the  state  prison  for  the  next  ten  years." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  I  stole  your  uncle's 
money  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  say  anything  of  the  kind.  You  and  Dock 
Vincent  conveyed  Miss  Watson  on  board  of  the  Car- 
ibbee.  That's  a  state-prison  offence,  to  say  nothing 
of  stealing  the  money." 

"Don't  be  hard  on  me,  Levi." 

"  Hard  on  you !  I'm  not  half  so  hard  on  you  as 
you  are  on  yourself.  You  were  employed  as  a  hand 
on  board  of  this  vessel,  and  you  used  your  position 
to  deceive  Miss  Watson,  and  get  her  on  board  of  the 


280  FREAKS    OF  FORTUNE,    OR 

Caribbee.  You  then  came  to  me,  with  your  mouth 
full  of  lies,  and  told  me  she  had  gone  to  Portland 
"with  her  father,  by  railroad,  I  trusted  you,  and  you 
betrayed  me,  I  can  forgive  you,  but  I  can  never 
respect  you  again,"  said  Levi,  warmly. 

"Don't  be  too  hard  on  me,  Levi,"  pleaded  Mat. 
"  I  got  into  a  scrape,  and  Dock  helped  me  out ;  but 
he  made  me  do  everything  he  said  after  that" 

"  You  needn't  commit  yourself  to  me.  I  don't  ask 
you  to  make  any  confessions.  Dock  Vincent  is  in 
jail  now,  and  the  whole  truth  will  come  out  in  due 
time." 

"  What's  the  use ! "  exclaimed  Mat,  in  despair.  "  I'm 
ruined  now.  If  you'll  let  me  go  ashore  here,  I'll  try 
to  be  an  honest  man." 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  let  you  go,  though  I  have  no 
doubt  you  were  the  tool  of  Dock  Vincent.  I  have 
no  right  to  let  you  escape." 

"I'll  tell  you  all  about  it,  Levi;  and  you  will  see 
what  a  bad  scrape  I  was  in,"  said  Mat,  fixing  his 
eyes  on  the  planks  of  the  deck.  "  Your  uncle  bor- 
rowed a  screw-driver  in  the  shoj) — " 

"  Levi !    Levi !  "    shouted   Bessie  Watson,  who  was 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  281 

in  the  standing-room,  looking  at  the  shipping  in  the 
vicinity. 

The  young  skipper  sprang  towards  her,  fearful  that 
some  terrible  event  was  about  to  happen  ;  for  Bessie 
was  waving  her  handkerchief,  and  dancing  about  the 
deck  like  an  insane  person.  A  boat,  with  two  gen- 
tlemen in  the  stern-sheets,  was  approaching  the  yacht, 
and  at  this  Bessie  was  gazing  with  intense  earnest- 
ness. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Bessie?"  asked  he,  looking 
at  her,  rather  than  the  boat,  to  assure  himself  that 
her  trials  had  not  affected  her  reason. 

"Why,  don't  you  see,  Levi?" 

"  I  don't  see  anything.     What  is  it  ? " 

"  My  father !  My  father !  "  cried  she,  laughing,  al- 
most in  hysterics. 

Levi  glanced  at  the  boat.  One  of  the  gentlemen 
was  certainly  Mr.  Watson,  though  he  was  not  quite 
willing  to  believe  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses. 
The  boat  had  approached  near  enough  to  enable  him 
to  be  sure  of  the  fact. 

"It  is  my   father!"   repeated   Bessie,   as  the   boat 


282  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

ran  up  to  the  accommodation  ladder,  and  Mr.  Wat- 
son leaped  on  board  of  the  yacht. 

"My  child!  My  child!"  ejaculated  the  fond  father, 
as  he  folded  her  in  his  arms. 

"  O,  father!"  exclaimed  she,  as  she  hugged  him  in 
a  transport  of  joy. 

Twined  in  each  other's  arms,  they  wept  and  laughed, 
in  the  exuberance  of  delight,  at  this  happy  reunion. 
Levi  could  hardly  restrain  his  own  tears  as  he  gazed 
upon  the  affecting  scene,  and  in  the  depths  of  his 
heart  he  thanked  God,  who  had  guided  his  little 
bark  over  the  stormy  ocean,  half  round  the  world, 
and  enabled  him  to.  save  Bessie  from  the  hands  of 
her  grasping  enemies. 

"  Levi ! "  said  Mr.  Watson,  gently  disengaging  him- 
self from  his  daughter's  embrace,  and  giving  the  young 
captain  his  hand. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Watson,"  replied  Levi, 
grasping  the  offered  hand. 

"  If  Levi  hadn't  followed  me,  you  would  never  have 
seen  me  again,"  added  Bessie,  throwing  herself  upon 
her  father's  breast  a^ain. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  283 

"God  bless  you,  Levi!"  exclaimed  the  delighted 
father,  wringing   the   young  man's  hand  again. 

Mr.  Watson  seemed  to  be  bewildered  by  the  ec- 
stasy of  his  joy.  He  grasped  the  hand  of  Augustus, 
who  was  so  pleased  that  he  forgot  to  use  any  high- 
flown  speech.  The  gentleman  who  had  come  in  the 
boat  with  Bessie's  father  was  introduced  to  the  party 
as  the  American  consul. 

"  We  did  not  expect  to  see  you,  Mr.  Watson,"  said 
Levi. 

"I  have  been  in  Melbourne  for  three  weeks,"  re- 
plied he.  "  This  is  the  port  for  which  the  Caribbee 
cleared  at  the  Custom  House.  „But  where  is  the 
Caribbee  ?  " 

"  She  struck  on  a  rock  to  the  southward  of  King's 
Island,  in  the  gale,  yesterday  morning.  She  has  bro- 
ken up  before  this  time." 

"  And  I  was  on  board  of  her  at  the  time,"  said 
Bessie. 

"  Though  the  Carribbee  was  twenty  tons  larger 
than  The  Starry  Flag,  we  were  just  a  match  for  her 
in  sailing,"  added  Levi.  "  We  lost  her  a  week  out 
of  New  York,  saw  her  again  at   the  Cape  of  Good 


284  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

Hope,  and  then  lost  sight  of  her  three  or  four  times ; 
but  we  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  Bass  Strait  about 
the  same  time." 

"  I  think  I  will  not  stop  to  hear  the  story  now. 
Bessie,  there  is  some  one  on  shore  who  wishes  to 
see  you,"  replied  Mr.  Watson. 

"Who?  O,  I  know,  father!  It  is  mother!  Come, 
let  us  go  on  shore,  this  minute ! "  exclaimed  the  be- 
wildered girl,  dancing  about  again,  as  this  new  joy 
dawned  upon  her. 

Levi  informed  the  consul  that  one  of  the  conspira- 
tors  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck,  and  this  gen- 
tleman promised  to  attend  to  the  matter.  The  life- 
boat was  lowered ;  and  leaving  his  mate  in  charge 
of  the  vessel,  with  strict  injunctions  not  to  let  Mat 
Mogmore  escape,  Levi  went  on  shore  with  Bessie  and 
her  father. 

"  My  mother  in  Australia  !  "   exclaimed   Bessie. 

"  And  Mrs.  McGilvery,  too  ! "  added  Mr.  Watson. 

"Why,  then  the  whole  family  are  here!  Only 
think  of  it !  I  didn't  expect  to  see  you  or  mother 
for  months  yet." 

"We  could  not  do  anything  but    come,  for  every 


1IALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  285 

hour  seemed  like  an  age  to  us,"  replied  Mr.  Watson. 
"  When  I  received  Levi's  letter,  I  saw  that  nothing 
more  could  be  done  on  our  side  of  the  world,  and  I 
decided  to  follow  you.  Dock  Vincent  assured  me  I 
should  never  see  my  daughter  again ;  and  I  was  sat- 
isfied by  the  confidence  he  exhibited,  and  the  per- 
sistency with  which  he  urged  me  to  pay  his  demand, 
that  the  Caribbee  had  indeed  sailed  upon  her  long 
voyage.  Levi's  letter,  written  when  he  had  been 
three  days  at  sea,  with  the  Caribbee  in  sight,  fully 
confirmed  my  view.  I  was  sorry  Levi  did  not  re- 
turn to  New  York,  instead  of  following  the  vessel." 

"  Why  so  ? "  asked  Levi,  blushing  under  the  im- 
plied censure. 

"If  I  had  known  the  result  in  season,  I  might 
have  sent  a  steamer  in  pursuit  of  the  Caribbee.  As 
it  was,  I  did  not  get  the  letter  till  a  week  after  her 
departure." 

"The  chances  of  a  steamer  finding  the  Caribbee 
were  not  more  than  one  in  fifty,"  replied  Levi. 

"  I  was  sorry  then,  Levi ;  but  I  am  not  now.  You 
have  achieved  almost  a  miracle,  and  I  am  willing  to 
believe   now   that    your  course  was  the  best  and  the 


286  FEEAKS    OF    FOETUNE,    OE 

safest.  I  decided  at  once  to  be  in  Melbourne  when 
the  Caribbee  arrived.  I  sailed  for  England  in  the 
steamer  with  your  mother  and  your  aunt.  We  came 
from  there  by  the  way  of  Egypt,  and  landed  here  three 
weeks  ago.  I  have  an  agent  in  every  principal  port 
in  Australia  on  the  lookout  for  the  Caribbee.  When 
any  fore-and-aft  vessel  came  into  this  harbor  I  was 
informed  of  the  fact,  and  you  may  judge  my  surprise 
when  I  saw  The  Starry  Flag.  I  will  not  tell  you 
what  I  feared  when  I  recognized  her,  for  all  that 
passed  away  when  I  saw  Bessie  on  the  deck ; "  and 
the  devoted  father  clasped  her  in  his  arms  again. 

The  party  landed.  In  a  few  moments  they  reached 
the  hotel,  and  Bessie  was  folded  in  the  embrace  of 
her  mother. 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WOULD.  287 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 


CONCLUSION. 


M: 


RS.  WATSON  wept  tears  of  joy  over  her  lost 
-.Jy_1_  child,  now  restored  to  her.  Mrs.  McGilvery 
declared  that  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  such  a  joy- 
ful meeting  was  worth  a  voyage  half  round  the  world, 
or,  indeed,  all  the  Way  round  the  world. 

"Well,  Levi,  what  shall  we  do  next?"  asked  Mr. 
Watson,  when  the  young  skipper  had  been  thanked 
and  extolled  by  the  ladies  till  his  cheeks  burned  with 
blushes. 

"  Go  home,  I  suppose,  sir,  unless  the  ladies  desire 
to  settle  here,"  replied  Levi. 

"  Doubtless  we  shall  go  home,"  added  Mr.  Watson ; 
"  but  how  shall  we  do  it  ?  I  think  the  ladies  will  not 
care  to  be  kept  on  board  of  the  yacht  for  three 
months  or  more." 

"I  will  do  what  I  can  to  make  them  comfortable 


288  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,   OR 

if  they  will  return  in  The  Starry  Flag;  but  that  is 
saying  only  a  little." 

"You  would  arrive  on  the  coast  of  the  United 
States  in  the  middle  of  the  winter,  and  you  will  see 
many  heavy  storms,  and  much  bad  weather,"  suggest- 
ed Mr.  Watson. 

"Yes,  sir;  it  was  bad  enough  coming  out  here, 
especially  after  we  left  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  but 
it  would  be  worse  returning.  I  cannot  honestly  ad- 
vise them  to  go  back  in  the  yacht,  glad  as  I  should 
be  of  their  company ; "  and  Levi  glanced  at  Bessie. 
"  I  think  they  had  better  go  by  the  way  you  came." 

"  I  am  very  clear  of  that,"  added  Mr.  Watson. 
"But,  Levi,  I  can't  bear  the  idea  of  your  knocking 
about  for  three  or  four  months,  perhaps  six,  in  such 
a  small  vessel." 

"  It  won't  hurt  me  any.  I  rather  like  it,"  laughed 
Levi.  "I  will  have  a  stove  put  up  in  the  cabin  for 
use  when  we  get  into  the  cold  region,  and  we  shall 
be  as  comfortable  as  a  bug  in  a  rug." 

"I'll  tell  you  my  plan,  Levi.  I  can  sell  the  yacht, 
and  you  can  return  with  us  by  steamer." 

"Sell   The    Starry    Flag!"    exclaimed    Levi.      "I 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  289 

should  as  soon  think  of  selling  my  mother,  if  I  had 
one.  I  love  her,  after  the  good  service  she  has  done, 
and  I  don't  think  any  builder  could  got  up  another 
as  good  as  she  is.  I  know  what  she  is  now.  She 
has  weathered  a  hurricane,  and  don't  mind  an  ordina- 
ry gale  any  more  than  a  summer  zephyr.  Besides,  I 
have  a  crew  of  six  men,  without  the  cook  and  stew- 
ard.    If  you  want  to  sell  her,  I'll  buy  her." 

"  She  is  yours  now,  and  you  may  do  as  you  please 
with  her." 

"  Then  I  shall  certainly  take  her  home.  She  needs 
.some  repairs,  and  then  she  will  be  as  good  as  new." 

"  If  the  ladies  are  willing,  we  will  all  go  on  board 
of  her,"  said  Mr.  Watson.  "We  must  make  some 
arrangements  for  Mrs.  Vincent  and  her  children,  and 
attend  to  Mat  Mogmore's  case." 

The  party  went  on  board  of  the  yacht.  Mr.  Wat- 
son summoned  the  crew,  as  soon  as  they  reached  the 
deck,  and  gave  each  of  them  a  check  for  a  thousand 
dollars.  This  little  incident  made  the  day  a  happy 
one  to  them,  as  well  as  to  the  members  of  Mr.  Wat- 
son's family.  He  then  asked  Mrs.  Vincent  what  she 
purposed  to  do;  and  Levi  offered  her  a  return  pas- 
19 


290  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OB 

sage  in  the  yacht.  She  had  been  kind  to  Bessie,  had 
been  her  companion  and  friend  in  her  distress,  and 
her  conduct  merited  a  grateful  recognition.  The  poor 
woman  did  not  know  what  to  do.  She  had  no  idea 
what  her  husband  had  done  with  all  the  money  he 
had  collected.  It  was  not  to  be  found,  and  no  one 
knew  anything  about  it.  It  was  afterwards  ascer- 
tained that  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  his  house  and 
furniture  had  been  expended  upon  the  fitting  out  of 
the  Caribbee,  and  he  had  deposited  the  ten  thousand 
borrowed  of  Mr.  Fairfield  *  in  Boston  until  he  was 
ready  to  leave  the   country. 

Mrs.  Yincent  did  not  wish  to  return  to  her  native 
land.  Her  husband  had  ruined  himself  and  disgraced 
his  family,  and  she  did  not  care  to  meet  the  obloquy 
which  awaited  her  in  the  midst  of  her  friends.  The 
consul  informed  her,  when  she  had  stated  her  views, 
that  she  could  make  a  good  living,  and  perhaps  a 
competency,  by  keeping  a  boarding-house  in  Mel- 
bourne. Mr.  Watson  promptly  offered  to  assist  her 
to  the  means  for  making  a  beginning.  Before  the 
yacht  sailed  on  her  home  voyage,  the  consul  had 
purchased  for  her  such  an  establishment  as  she  need- 


HALF    ROUND    TIIE    WORLD.  291 

ed,  and  she  was  in  a  fair  way  to  do  better  for  her- 
self than  her  husband  had  ever  done  for  her. 

The  consul  met  the  family  in  the  cabin  of  the  yacht, 
and  Mat  Mogmore's  case  came  up  for  discussion.  The 
steward,  and  the  other  seamen  from  the  Caribbee, 
had  gone  on  shore  to  shift  for  themselves,  as  Mat 
would  have  done  if  he  had  been  permitted. 

"Mat  says  he  got  into  a  scrape,  and  Dock  helped 
him  out,"  said  Levi,  when  the  matter  was  brought 
up.  "  The  old  rascal  had  him  in  his  power  then,  and 
made  a  tool  of  him  in  this  business." 

"  What  scrape  did  he  get  into  ? "  asked  Mr.  Wat- 
son. 

"  I  don't  know.  He  began  to  tell  me  when  your 
boat  came  alongside,"  replied  Levi.  "  He  said  my 
uncle  borrowed  a  screw-driver  of  him ;  but  I  don't 
know  what  this  had  to  do  with  it." 

"  Send  for  him,  Levi,"  added  Mr.  Watson.     "  If  he  . 
tells   the  truth,    and   means    to    do    well,  perhaps  we 
may   do  something  to  help  him." 

The  steward  was  called,  and  directed  to  bring  the 
prisoner  —  for  such  he  was  —  into  the  cabin.  Mat 
was  on  the  stool  of  repentance.     All  his  expectations 


292  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,   OR 

had  been  blasted ;  and,  whichever  way  he  turned,  the 
prospect  was  dark  and  forbidding,  as  it  must  sooner 
or  later  be  to  all  evil-doers.  Even  if  permitted  to 
go  on  shore,  he  was  alone  and  friendless  in  a  strange 
land.  The  share  he  was  to  receive  of  Bessie's  ran- 
som had  failed  him ;  another  evil  speculation  had 
also  come  to  nought.  If  he  returned  to  his  native 
land  in  the  yacht,  it  was  only  to  be  covered  with  mer- 
ited disgrace,  and  to  spend  years  of  his  life  in  the  state 
prison. 

When  Mat  Mogmore  entered  the  cabin  under  the 
escort  of  the  steward,  he  felt  like  a  ruined  man  — 
one  who,  by  his  own  folly  and  wickedness,  had  sac- 
rificed all  his  hopes  in  this  world.  Mr.  Watson  and 
the  consul  spoke  to  him  with  the  utmost  plainness, 
the  latter  informing  him  that,  if  he  declined  to  return 
home  in  the  yacht,  he  should  procure  his  arrest  on  a 
criminal  charge. 

"I  will  return  in  her,  if  you  say  so,"  blubbered 
Mat,  whose  pluck  was  all  gone. 

"  If  you  wish  to  explain  your  conduct,  you  may  do 
so,"  added  Mr.  Watson. 

"  I  don't  know  as  it's  any  use.  I  wish  I  had  been 
drowned  in  the  Caribbee." 


HALF    ROUND    THE   WORLD.  293 

"You  began  to  tell  me  your  story,"  said  Levi. 

"  I  was  going  to  tell  you  how  I  happened  to  help 
Captain  Vincent.  He  made  me  do  it.  I'll  tell  you 
about  it,  if  you  like." 

"Go  on,"  added  Mr.  Watson. 

"Perhaps  I'm  worse  than  you  think  I  am;  but  I'll 
tell  the  whole  truth." 

"That's  what  we  want." 

"Levi's  uncle  borrowed  a  screw-driver  of  me  in 
the  shop.  I  wanted  to  use  it  pretty  soon,  and  I 
went  over  to  Mr.  Fairfield's  after  it.  He  was  fixing 
a  board  to  put  over  a  hole  in  the  plastering  in  his 
chamber.  I  saw  he  had  cut  away  the  laths,  and  I 
knew  he  wasn't  putting  up  the  piece  to  keep  the 
cold  out,  as  he  said.  I  made  up  my  mind  he  had 
money  hid  in  that  hole.  At  the  fire,  when  the  folks 
had  left  the  room,  and  all  the  men  were  on  the  roof, 
I  took  off  that  board,  for  I  thought  the  money  would 
be  all  lost  if  there  was  any  there.  I  found  the  four 
bags  of  gold.  I  dropped  them  out  the  window  into 
the  lilac  bushes,  and  put  the  board  up  again.  I 
didn't  mean  to  steal  it  then.  I  never  stole  anything 
in  my  life,  not  even  a  pin." 


294  FEEAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"What  did  you  put  the  board  up  again  for?" 
asked  Levi. 

"I  didn't  screw  it  up  till  afterwards.  I  carried 
the  gold  over  to  the  shop,  and  hid  it  under  the  floor. 
Then  I  went  back  and  fastened  up  the  board,  just  as 
I  found  it.  While  I  was  doing  this  Dock  Vincent 
came  in,  and  saw  what  I  was  doing.  I  turned  it  off 
as  well  as  I  could,  and  helped  move  the  furniture 
where  the  water  was  coming  down  upon  it.  There 
was  a  lot  of  money  in  those  bags,  and  I  didn't  like 
to  give  them  up.  Dock  had  said  something  to  me 
about  going  to  Australia  with  him,  and  I  thought  I 
could  take  the  money  out  here  with  me. 

"Just  as  soon  as  it  came  out  that  the  gold  was 
gone,  Captain  Vincent  pitched  into  me.  He  knew 
then  what  I  was  screwing  up  that  board  for.  It  wasn't 
any  use  to  deny  it  to  him  after  what  he  had  seen.  I 
said  I  would  give  it  back  to  the  pld  man,  and  tell  him 
I  had  taken  it  to  keep  it  from  being  lost  in  the  fire. 
Dock  said  it  wan't  worth  while  to  do  that ;  the  old 
man  had  lost  it,  and  he  wouldn't  feel  any  worse  if 
he  didn't  find  it.  We  talked  it  over,  and  after  a 
while  I  agreed  to  divide  with  him. 


IIALF    ROUND    TTIE    WORLD.  295 

"Then  he  began  to  tell  me,  a  little  at  once,  about 
carrying  off  Miss  Watson  again.  I  didn't  like  the 
job ;  but  Dock  said  he'd  send  me  to  jail  for*stealing 
the  gold  if  I  didn't  go  in  with  him ;  and  I  had  to 
go.  When  the  new  Starry  Flag  came  round,  he  told 
me  Levi  wanted  to  hire  me  before  the  mast,  and  told 
me  to  engage  with  him,  so  as  to  help  him  get  Miss 
Watson  when  the  time  came.  All  along,  Dock  said 
that  Levi  was  in  his  way.  If  he  could  get  rid  of 
him,  he  could  carry  her  off  without  any  trouble.  So 
he  laid  the  stealing  to  him,  and  tried  to  prove  it  on 
him. 

"Dock  told  me  to  put  the  bag  and  some  of  the 
gold  in  the  state-room,  but  I  hadn't  any  chance  to 
do  it ;  the  steward  was  in  my  way  all  the  time.  The 
yacht  was  going  off  the  next  day,  and  Dock  wanted 
to  have  Levi  taken  up  before  he  started.  I  handed 
the  bag  I  had  fixed  to  Ben  Seaver,  and  told  him  I 
had  forgotten  to  do  what  the  captain  had  ordered. 
I  asked  him  to  give  it  to  the  steward,  and  tell  him 
Levi  wanted  him  to  put  it  into  a  locker  in  his  state- 
room. Ben  did  just  what  I  told  ham ;  and  I  knew 
he  was  going  off  that  day.    Levi  was  taken  up ;  but 


296  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,    OR 

things  didn't  work  as  Dock  wanted.  He  was  dis- 
charged. 

"All  4his  time  the  money  was  hid  under  the  shop. 
After  the  examination,  Dock  wanted  the  money  di- 
vided. I  had  taken  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars. We  put  fifty  in  the  bag  before,  and  divided  a 
hundred.  I  agreed  to  meet  him  at  the  old  fish- 
house,  that  was  burned,  and  I  carried  the  bags  down, 
and  put  them  under  an  old  sail,  where  I  could  get 
the  money  when  we  wanted  it. 

"Dock  and  I  met  in  the  fish-house  at  ten  o'clock. 
He  had  a  lantern,  so  that  we  could  see  to  count  the 
money.  We  sat  down  on  the  rocks  to  talk  the  mat- 
ter over,  for  Dock  wanted  the  whole  of  the  money 
then,  and  promised  to  give  me  my  share  when  we 
got  to  Australia.  I  didn't  like  this;  and  while  we 
were  talking  about  it,  the  steward  tumbled  down 
through  the  floor  of  the  loft  right  between  us.  I 
never  was  so  scared  in  my  life.  I  thought  the  evil 
one  was  after  me  for  what  I  had  done.  Dock  was 
as  scared  as  I  was,  and  we  both  ran  off  as  fast  as 
our  legs  would  carry  us. 

"We  went   into   Dock's   back   kitchen,   and   staid 


HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD.  297 

there  till  the  alarm  of  fire  was  given.  We  meant 
to  go  back,  but  neither  of  us  dared  to  do  so.  The 
fish-house  got  afire,  and  burned  up ;  and  that  was  the 
last  we  saw  of  the  gold.  Augustus  can  tell  you  bet- 
ter than  I  can  where  it  went  to." 

"  I  have  told  that  already,"  interposed  the  steward. 

"  When  the  Caribbee  was  ready  to  sail,"  continued 
Mat,  "Dock  went  to  New  York,,  and  told  Captain 
Gauley  to  follow  as  soon  as  Miss  Watson  was  on 
board.  I  was  told  to  watch  my  chance  when  Levi 
was  on  board  the  yacht,  and  go  to  her,  saying  he 
had  sent  me  for  her.  I  waited  three  days  without 
having  such  a  chance,  when  the  race  at  Portland  fixed 
things  just  as  I  wanted "  them.  You  know  how  I 
worked  it.  ■  I  wouldn't  have  done  it  if  I  hadn't  been 
afraid  Dock  would  send  me  to  jail.  As  soon  as  we 
got  to  New  York,  Captain  Gauley  sent  a  letter  to 
Boston,  where  Dock  was  keeping  himself  out  of  sight 
till  he  could  get  the  money.  I  suppose  he  sent  his 
letter  to  Mr.  Watson  as  soon  as  he  heard  Miss  Wat- 
son was  missing.  We  waited  ten  days  below  New 
York;  but  Dock  didn't  come.  Then  Captain  Gauley 
got  a  letter  from  him,  saying  things  were  going  wrong 


298  FREAKS    OF    FORTUNE,    OR 

with  him,  and  ordering  the  vessel  to  sail  without  him. 
He  was  to  come  out  here  by  steamer." 

Mat  Mogmore's  confession  made  everything  plain. 
What  was  not  understood  before  was  clear  enough 
now.  Dock  Vincent  did  not  believe  in  the  power 
of  goodness ;  and  when  he  took  advantage  of  the  rob- 
bery to  charge  the  crime  upon  Levi,  he  did  not  real- 
ize that  a  young  man's  character  is  his  tower  of 
strength.  He  failed  to  break  down  his  reputation, 
failed  to  ruin  him,  failed  to  injure  him  in  the  oj)inion 
of  any  for  more  than  a  brief  period.  Perhaps,  if  he 
could  have  ruined  Levi,  and  got  him  out  of  the  way, 
as  he  desired,  he  might  have  succeeded  in  his  wicked 
intention,  though  God  does  not  often  permit  such  in- 
iquity to  prosper. 

By  the  next  steamer  Mr.  "Watson's  family  dej^art- 
ed  for  home.  The  Starry  Flag  was  carefully  repaired, 
an  abundant  supply  of  provisions  put  on  board,  and 
she  sailed  for  the  United  States.  Mat  Mogmore 
returned  voluntarily  in  her.  As  Mr.  Watson  had  de- 
cided "to  spend  two  or  three  months  in  Europe  on  his 
return,  Levi  did  not  hasten  his  homeward  voyage. 
At    the  Cape    of  Good    Hope   he    staid  a  couple  of 


HALF    ROUND    THE    WORLD.  299 

weeks,  to  see  the  country.  He  remained  about  the 
same  time  at  St.  Helena,  at  Ascension,  at  the  Cape 
Yerde  Islands,  and  at  the  Bermudas,  thus  avoiding 
the  winter  storms  of  the  North  Atlantic,  besides  see- 
ing the  wonders  of  the  sunny  isles  of  the  ocean. 

About  the  middle  of  May  The  Starry  Flag  was 
discovered  entering  Sandy  Bay.  Mr.  Watson  and 
his  family,  who  had  arrived  a  month  before,  had  gone 
to  their  summer  home ;  and  when  those  who  cast 
frequent  glances  to  seaward  discovered  the  yacht, 
Mr.  Watson  was  informed  of  her  arrival.  With 
Bessie  on  his  arm,  he  hastened  down  to  the  Point, 
where  hundreds  of  Levi's  friends  had  already  gath- 
ered to  welcome  him.  The  anchor  of  the  yacht  went 
down  among  the  rocks  off  the  Point,  the  sails  were 
furled,  and  all  hands  went  on  shore. 

Levi's  reception  was  worthy  of  a  hero.  He  was 
cheered  as  though  he  had  been  a  great  admiral  com- 
ing home  from  his  conquest  of  the  seas ;  but  the  tear- 
ful welcome  which  Bessie  Watson  bestowed  upon 
him  was  more  grateful  than  the  plaudits  of  the  mul- 
titude. He  went  with  her  to  her  father's  house,  and 
the  rest  of  the  day  and  a  long  evening  were  spent  in 


300  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

relating  the  incidents  of  their  return  from  that  distant 
land,  half  round  the  world. 

"How  is  my  uncle  now?"  asked  Levi  of  Mr* 
Gayles,  who  formed  one  of  the  party, 

"  He  is  about  the  same  as  usual,"  replied  the  con- 
stable. "He  has  lost  ten  thousand  dollars  by  Dock 
Vincent,  arfd  he  groans  about  that  night  and  day." 

"  That  money  can  be  recovered,"  said  Mr.  Watson. 
"Vincent  did  not  use  it." 

"  The  trial  of  Dock  has  been  postponed  from  time 
to  time  on  account  of  your  absence,"  added  Mr. 
Gayles.     "The  case,  will  be  called  again  next  week." 

"When  it  was  assigned  the  next  time,  the  witnesses 
were  in  the  court-room.  Dock  and  Mr.  Fairfield  were 
arraigned.  Mat  Mogmore  was  permitted  to  testify  for 
the  government.  Both  were  found  guilty ;  but,  while 
Dock  was  sentenced  to  the  longest  term  of  imprison- 
ment provided  by  law  for  his  crimes,  the  old  man 
was  sentenced  to  the  shortest,  with  a  fine  of  one 
thousand  dollars.  Dock's  term  was  ten  years.  It 
broke  his  spirit.  His  little  plan  was  a  total  failure, 
and  too  late  he  found  that  the  way  of  the  wicked 
shall  not  prosper.  He  was  sent  to  the  state  prison, 
and  disappeared  from  public  view. 


HALF   ROUND   THE    WORLD.  301 

Mr.  Fairfield  was  sent  to  the  common  jail;  but  it 
was  evident  that  he  was  dying  by  inches  of  mental 
disorder,  and  his  pardon  was  procured  by  the  influ- 
ence of  Mr.  Watson.  He  went  back  to  his  home. 
The  ten  thousand  dollars  which  Dock  had  borrowed 
of  him  was  recovered,  in  process  of  law,  of  the  person 
with  whom  the  swindler  had  deposited  it.  The  old 
man  had  really  lost  but  a  thousand  dollars,  the  amount 
of  his  fine ;  but  he  was  too  miserable  to  survive  long, 
and  died  two  years  after  his  discharge  from  prison. 
Levi  was  his  heir,  but  he  gave  his  aunt  the  use  of 
the  money  while  she  lived.  Her  Bible  and  her  reli- 
gious newspaper  were  her  best  friends,  and  she  learned 
to  ojDen  her  heart  and  open  her  purse-strings.  She 
had  nothing  to  do  now,  and  she  became,  under  Levi's 
good  advice,  a  blessing  to  the  poor  and  the  suffering. 

"When  Levi  was  twenty-one,  Mr.  Gayles's  function 
as  guardian  ceased,  and  he  paid  over  to  his  ward  his 
entire  fortune.  But  this  was  a  trivial  event  compared 
with  another,  which  occurred  a  few  months  later,  in 
Boston ;  when,  in  Mr.  Watson's  elegant  mansion,  Levi 
and  Bessie  received  the  congratulations  of  all  their 
friends.  Rockport  was  strongly  represented  on  this 
interesting  occasion. 


302  FREAKS    OF   FORTUNE,   OR 

"  May  all  angels,  celestial  and  terrestrial,  keep  per- 
petual vigil  over  you,  Mrs.  Fairfield,"  said  Mr.  C.  Au- 
gustus Ebenier,  as  he  touched  the  gloved  hand  of  the 
bride,  whom  he  did  not  presume  to  kiss,  as  others  did. 
"  And  the  next  time  you  attempt  the  semi-circumnav- 
igation of  this  mundane  sphere,  may  I  have  the  honor 
to  be  the  cabin  steward  of  the  bark  that  bears  you 
o'er  the  stormy  sea." 

"  May  prosperity  and  hapj)iness  be  yours,  Mrs.  Fair- 
field," said  Squire  Saunders.  "  Levi,  this  time  I  must 
commit  you  —  to  the  care  of  this  lady." 

"  I  have  taken  care  of  Levi  for  a  good  many  years, 
Mrs.  Fairfield,"  added  Mr.  Gayles;  "but  I  cheerfully 
resign  in  your  favor." 

"  I  never  saw  so  many  grand  people  and  sech  nice 
things  in  all  my  born  days,"  said  aunt  Susan ;  "  but 
Levi's  wuth  the  whole  on  'em.  I  know  he'll  make 
you  a  good  husband,  and  you'll  make  him  a  good 
wife ; "  and  the  old  lady  planted  a  hearty  smack  on 
the  cheek  of  each. 

When  Levi  and  Bessie  returned  from  their  bridal 
tour  in  Europe,  in  the  following  spring,  they  took 
up  their  residence  in  the  mansion  of  Mr.  Watson,  on 


HALF   ROUND    THE    WORLD.  303 

the  Point.  The  Starry  Flag  and  The  Starry  Flag, 
Jr.,  both  lie  in  sight  of  the  house,  and  both  of  them 
are  frequently  used  for  long  and  short  trips.  While 
Captain  Fairfield  —  as  he  is  generally  called  —  and  his 
beautiful  wife  hope  the  day  is  far  distant  which  will 
make  him  a  millionnaire,  this  event,  in  the  course 
of  nature,  must  occur ;  yet  is  he  richer  now,  in  the 
possession  of  a  noble  character  and  a  true  Christian 
spirit,  than  he  can  be  made  by  any  Freaks  of  For- 
tune. 


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